Myrtle Beach Beach Rules by Season: Dogs, Tents, Umbrellas and the $500 Fines to Avoid
Dear Sir or Madam,
Myrtle Beach runs on two rulebooks: a stricter one for peak season and a relaxed one for the rest of the year. Most visitors only find out which one applies when a beach patrol officer walks up, and violations can carry a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Here’s the full picture, plus a quick checker so you know before you pack the car.
These are City of Myrtle Beach rules. North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City and other Grand Strand towns set their own, so check locally if you’re staying outside city limits.
Peak season: May 1 through Labor Day
- Dogs: on the beach only before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m., on a leash 7 feet or shorter, and you must pick up after them. Service dogs are exempt.
- Boardwalk: dogs and bicycles only from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Umbrellas (Memorial Day–Labor Day): circular umbrellas up to 7½ feet across only, set at or behind the lifeguard line. No tents or canopies.
- Infant shelters: allowed year-round if they’re no bigger than 4 ft wide, 3 ft deep and 3 ft tall.
After Labor Day: the relaxed season
- Dogs and bikes are allowed on the beach and boardwalk at any time. Leash and clean-up rules still apply.
- Tents and shade structures up to 12 × 12 feet are allowed, in line with or behind the umbrella line.
Rules that never change
- No alcohol and no glass containers on the beach.
- No fires.
- Set up no earlier than 8 a.m. and pack up by 7 p.m.
- No swimming or surfing within 75 yards of a pier.
- Holes no deeper than 2 feet, filled back in before you leave.
- Stay off the dunes. Metal detecting is allowed on the public beach only.
Check your beach day
Sources: WMBF News, peak season rules (2026) and WMBF News, post-Labor Day changes.
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