Beach rules

Dogs on the beach

Brant Beach, Holgate, Loveladies and the other sections of Long Beach Township follow the township's rules.

Barnegat Light

• Smoking and vaping: Smoking tobacco, cannabis or anything else that makes smoke, and using an e-cigarette or vape pen, are banned on every beach in the borough (§ 144-11 V, as amended by Ordinance 2021-06). Source: Barnegat Light Ordinance 2021-06.
• Hunting and firearms: Hunting, trapping and firing any gun are banned on every beach in the borough (§ 144-11 Z, added by Ordinance 2023-03, adopted March 8, 2023). Source: Barnegat Light Ordinance 2023-03, Barnegat Light council minutes, March 8, 2023.

Barnegat Light's other beach rules, on alcohol, fires, vehicles and sleeping on the beach, are in Chapter 144 of the borough code, which this site could not check.

Official pages: Barnegat Light beach page, Barnegat Light borough code. The Barnegat Light page lists its beach accesses.

Harvey Cedars

Harvey Cedars' beach rules, including when dogs are allowed, are in the borough code, which this site could not check. They are not on the borough's beach pages.

Official pages: Harvey Cedars beach page, Harvey Cedars borough code. The Harvey Cedars page lists its beach accesses.

Surf City

• Shade and tents: A single-pole shade with no sides is allowed if it is no bigger than 8 feet by 8 feet. A shade set up ahead of time to hold a spot is removed at the owner's expense. Source: Surf City: Beaches.
• Holes: Do not dig a hole deeper than 12 inches, and fill in every hole before leaving the beach. Source: Surf City: Beaches.
• Boats and kayaks: Boats, kayaks and canoes may not be launched from any Surf City beach. Source: Surf City: Beaches.
• Fishing: While the beaches are guarded, fishing is on the beaches between North 23rd and North 25th Street. Source: Surf City: Beaches.
• Surfing: While the beaches are guarded, surfing is allowed only outside the swimming area, where the lifeguards direct. Surfers check in with a lifeguard and a badge checker, use a leash, and may not undress or change on the beach or in the street. The borough calls this a trial period. Source: Surf City: Beaches.
• Vehicles: Only municipal, state and federal vehicles may drive on the beach from the fourth Saturday in May to the third Saturday in September. At other times a beach buggy needs a permit from the police, the limit is 20 mph, and the beach is reached from 5th, 12th and 18th Street. Source: Surf City Police: beach buggy rules.

Surf City's other beach rules, on alcohol and smoking among them, are in the borough code, which this site could not check.

Official pages: Surf City beach page, Surf City borough code. The Surf City page lists its beach accesses.

Ship Bottom

• Alcohol: Alcohol is not allowed on the beach at any time. Source: Ship Bottom Police: Beach Regulations.
• Vehicles: Only municipal, state and agency vehicles may drive on the beach from the second Saturday in May to the last Saturday in September. The borough asks people not to sit or lie on the beach vehicle ramps, where vehicles enter and leave the beach. Source: Ship Bottom Police: Beach Regulations.
• Dunes: Keep off the dunes. Walking on them can bring a fine. Source: Ship Bottom Police: Beach Regulations.
• Peddlers and changing: Peddlers are not allowed on the beach, and neither is undressing. Source: Ship Bottom Police: Beach Regulations.

Ship Bottom's other beach rules, on smoking, fires and drones among them, are in Chapter 12.12 of the borough code, which this site could not check.

Official pages: Ship Bottom beach page, Ship Bottom borough code. The Ship Bottom page lists its beach accesses.

Long Beach Township

• Alcohol: No one may drink or have any alcoholic beverage, opened or unopened, on a public beach at any time (§ 39-7). Source: Long Beach Township Police: 2026 Summer Visitors Guide.
• Smoking and vaping: Smoking and vaping, cannabis and electronic devices included, are banned on all township beaches, oceanfront and bayfront land, and street ends (§ 51-18 T). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Tents and umbrellas: Tents, sunshades and canopies are banned. A collapsible single-pole umbrella up to 8 feet across is allowed, but not between 7:00 PM and 9:00 AM (§ 51-18 Q and R). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Food on the beach: Picnicking, meaning bringing food or drink to eat on the beach, is not allowed, and neither are tables or food deliveries. Up to 1 quart of a non-alcoholic drink per person does not count (§ 51-18 H, U and V). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Glass and litter: Bottles, glass, sharp objects and trash may not be left on the beach except in the bins (§ 51-18 D). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Ball games and kites: Throwing balls or Frisbees and flying kites are not allowed in the guarded bathing areas (§ 51-18 A). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Fires: Beach fires of any kind are not allowed (§ 51-18 S). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Surfing: Surfing on the ocean beaches is allowed only between the blue flags (§ 51-18 X). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023, LBT Beach Patrol: guarded beach locations.
• Floats: Rafts, inner tubes, skimboards and other floats may not be used in the guarded areas marked by yellow flags, except as the lifeguards allow (§ 51-18 C). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Jetties: No one may sit, stand, walk or fish on an ocean jetty (§ 51-18 W). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Boats and jet skis: Jet skis may not be launched or landed on a township beach, no boat may be launched in a guarded area, and windsurfing is allowed only in the Bayview Park windsurfing area (§ 51-18 K and M). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Overnight: Sleeping on the beach is not allowed from midnight to 6:00 AM (§ 51-18 F). Anyone under 18 may not be on a beach from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM unless with a parent or guardian (§ 135-6). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023, Long Beach Township Police: juvenile curfew, 2026.
• Dunes and wildlife: Do not walk, sit or stand on the dunes, and do not feed wildlife (§ 51-18 O and P). Source: Long Beach Township Code § 51-18, as posted by the police in May 2023.
• Vehicles: Vehicles are not allowed on the beach from May 15 through September 30. From October 1 the beaches are open to four-wheel-drive beach buggies with a police permit, at up to 15 mph. The Holgate wildlife refuge is closed to them from April 1 through September 1. Source: LBT Beach Patrol: Beach Regulations, Long Beach Township Police: FAQs.

Most of these rules are from the text of § 51-18 that the police posted in May 2023. The current code is on ecode360, which this site could not check, so a later change would not show here.

Official pages: Long Beach Township beach page, Long Beach Township code. The Long Beach Township page lists its beach accesses.

Beach Haven

• Alcohol: Alcohol and open containers are not allowed on the beach at any time. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Smoking: No smoking of any kind is allowed on the beach. The borough's page does not mention vaping by name. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Tents and umbrellas: Tents are not allowed. A sunshade with one central pole and an anchor is allowed up to 7 feet across and 7 feet 6 inches high, with no ropes or sides, from 1 hour before the lifeguards come on duty to 1 hour after they leave. A baby tent may be up to 40 by 40 by 40 inches. None may block a lifeguard stand or a beach entrance (§ 55-9). Source: Beach Haven Code § 55-9, tents on the beach.
• Kites and drones: Kites and drones may be flown on the beach only before 10:00 AM and after 5:00 PM, and never over the dunes. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Food and cooking: Food and drinks are allowed on the beach, but cooking or preparing food is not. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Bonfires: A beach bonfire needs a special event permit from the Borough Clerk. Permits are issued only from September 16 through June 14, a bonfire may run only from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and no alcohol is allowed at one (§ 174-3). Source: Beach Haven Code § 174-3, beach bonfires.
• Swimming: Swimmers stay between the flags the lifeguards post and follow lifeguard and police directions. Swimming is banned in storms, high wind or dangerous currents. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Surfing: While lifeguards are on duty, surfing is allowed only in the areas marked by quartered black-and-white flags. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Fishing and kayaks: Fishing and kayak launching are allowed only at least 50 yards outside the swimming and surfing areas. Everyone in a kayak or other boat must wear a life jacket. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Ball games: From the fourth Saturday in June until Labor Day, ball games, quoits and horseshoes are banned between the swimming flags from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. They are never allowed in the dunes. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Horses: Horseback riding is never allowed on the beach, the sand or the dunes. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Dunes: Walking on or disturbing any dune is against the law. Source: Beach Haven: Beach Information.
• Curfew: Anyone under 18 may not be on the beach from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Source: Beach Haven: Letter to Renters.

Official pages: Beach Haven beach page, Beach Haven borough code. The Beach Haven page lists its beach accesses.