Carova Beach Parking & Permits

What you need to drive and park on the Corolla–Carova 4x4 beaches

Driving onto the Corolla and Carova 4x4 beaches is free, but parking on the sand during the summer takes a Currituck County beach parking permit. Here's how the system works and how to get the passes you need.

Do you need a permit to drive on Carova Beach?

No. You don't need a permit to drive on the beach or to park at the home you're staying in. The permit is for parking on the beach strand itself, for example setting up chairs and an umbrella for the day next to your vehicle.

When are beach parking permits required?

Permits are required during the summer season only. For 2026, Currituck County required them from the second Saturday in May through the last Saturday in September, a shorter season than in past years, when it ran from late April into early October. The county sets the season each year, so check the county's beach parking page for current dates.

Sand road through the maritime forest in Carova, 4x4 Northern Outer Banks NC

How to get a beach parking permit

Staying in a Carova Cottages home

You're covered. Rental homes in the 4x4 area receive two beach parking permits from the county, distributed through the rental company, and your Carova Cottages home will have two week-long permits waiting for you. Display them on your vehicles when you park on the beach, and please leave them in the house when you check out for the next guests.

Currituck County residents and property owners

Residents and property owners use their Currituck County Access Permit as a beach parking permit. Owners with a home in the 4x4 area can get two additional permits from the Corolla Visitor Center.

Day visitors and guests staying elsewhere

If you're not renting in the 4x4 area, you can buy a weekly beach parking permit online through Currituck County. Permits are $50 each and limited to 300 per week, so buy early for peak summer weeks. For 2026, online sales opened April 1.

Who doesn't need one

County, emergency and research vehicles, commercial fishermen and outdoor tour operators actively running a tour are exempt.

Beach umbrella and lounge chair set up on Carova Beach, NC

Beach parking rules

  • No parking in the first 1.5 miles. Parking is prohibited for the first mile and a half north of the 4x4 ramp, and you can't stop on the ramp itself.
  • Park mid-beach. Leave room for traffic to pass on both sides and keep the driving lanes clear.
  • Keep the water's edge open. Chairs, coolers and fishing lines can't block the lane along the water, and you may need to move them as the tide comes in.
  • Clear out by sunset. After dark the whole beach is a driving lane. Anything left between sunset and sunrise is treated as litter, and holes and sand castles should be filled in.
  • Stay off the dunes. Walking on dunes outside designated walkovers is illegal.
  • Vehicles must be street legal. Every vehicle on the beach and the sand roads must be registered, licensed and insured.

Don't have a 4x4?

You can leave your car in Corolla and ride up with someone in your group who has four-wheel drive, or rent a 4x4 locally. Our Driving on Sand page lists paid parking in Corolla, and our Rental Shops page covers local 4x4 rentals.

Quick checklist before you head up the beach

  • A true 4WD vehicle, with tires aired down to about 20 PSI
  • A full gas tank, since there are no gas stations in the 4x4 area
  • Your beach parking permit displayed if you'll park on the sand in season
  • Today's tide times, from our Carova tide chart guide