Aug 19, 2026

Dog-Friendly Beaches in Myrtle Beach: Four Towns, Four Different Rules

The Grand Strand looks like one beach and is legally four. Myrtle Beach and Surfside close to dogs from 10 to 5, North Myrtle Beach from 10 to 4 on a different start date, and Georgetown County regulates the leash instead of the clock.

Luis ZamoraCo-founder of PetCompass; Dog Dad to Banzo and Tuck

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina12 min readThings to DoPet Care & Services

Here is the answer first. Dogs are allowed on almost every beach along the Grand Strand, but not in the middle of the day in summer, and the exact hours change depending on which town's sand you are standing on.

That last part is what catches people out. The Grand Strand looks like one continuous 60-mile beach, and legally it is nothing of the sort. It crosses several separate municipalities, and each one wrote its own dog ordinance. Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach agree with each other. North Myrtle Beach does not agree with either of them. Georgetown County, at the southern end, runs a completely different system based on leash hours rather than closed hours.

So the useful question is not "can I take my dog to the beach in Myrtle Beach?" It is "which town am I in, and what time is it?"

The rules, town by town

Where	Summer restriction	Season	Leash
Myrtle Beach	No dogs 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.	1 May to Labor Day	7 feet maximum, all year
Surfside Beach	No dogs 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.	1 May to Labor Day	Leashed whenever allowed
North Myrtle Beach	No dogs 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.	15 May to Labor Day	7 feet maximum, all times
Pawleys Island, Georgetown County	None published	Year round access	Leash 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Boardwalk	Dogs only 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	1 May to Labor Day	As above

Outside those seasons, every one of those beaches takes dogs at any hour of the day. From the day after Labor Day to 30 April, the restriction simply is not there.

Myrtle Beach: read the ordinance, not the summary

The rule for the city of Myrtle Beach lives in chapter 5 of the city ordinance, section 5-13, "Animals on the beaches restricted." The full ordinance text is published by the police department, and it is worth quoting properly because it does five separate things in one paragraph.

On hours: "Animals are not allowed on the beach between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., from May 1 up to and including Labor Day."

On leashes: "Any animal that is permitted to be on the beach must be on a hand-held leash not to exceed seven (7) feet in length and under the direct control of the person having custody of the animal."

Note "hand-held." A leash tied to a chair or a beach umbrella does not satisfy that wording, and neither does a long line trailing across the sand.

On waste: "Persons in control of the animal are responsible for the clean-up of any animal refuse."

On other animals: reptiles, exotic animals and wild or feral animals are barred from the public beach, beach accesses and street ends entirely, at all times.

On service animals: "Service Animals are exempt from the day and time restrictions only." Read that carefully. The exemption covers the closed hours. It does not cover the leash requirement or the clean-up requirement, which still apply.

Surfside Beach: same clock, its own words

Surfside Beach, immediately south of Myrtle Beach, publishes the same hours in its own beach rules: "Dogs or other domestic pets are not permitted on the public beach between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. from May 1 through Labor Day." And then the reassuring half: "At all other times, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach."

Surfside adds two prohibitions Myrtle Beach words differently. "No reptiles, exotic animals, or similar type animals are allowed on the beach or beach access at ANY TIME," with the capital letters as published. And "Horses and other large animals are not allowed on the beach."

Practically, if you learn the Myrtle Beach clock you have learned Surfside too. Those two towns are the easy pair.

North Myrtle Beach: the one that trips everybody

North Myrtle Beach is where the pattern breaks, and there is a documented disagreement about it that you should know about before you plan a morning.

The city of North Myrtle Beach says, on two separate pages of its own website, that from 15 May through Labor Day there are "No dogs allowed on the beach 10 AM - 4 PM," with a leash law "in effect at all times" and a "maximum leash length is 7 feet." That is the beach laws page and the beach ordinances page, and they match each other.

The tourism board says something different. Visit Myrtle Beach publishes "North Myrtle Beach from May 15 to September 15: No dogs allowed on the beach 9 am - 5 pm."

Those two versions differ at both ends of the day and on the end date. We are reporting the conflict rather than quietly picking a winner, because you may well have read the board's version somewhere and wondered.

The ordinance is the law, so follow the city. But here is advice that works under either version: treat 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. as closed in North Myrtle Beach. Plan around the wider window and you are compliant whichever page turns out to be current.

Also note the start date. North Myrtle Beach begins on 15 May, two weeks after Myrtle Beach and Surfside begin on 1 May. In the first fortnight of May, the same dog can legally lie on North Myrtle Beach sand at noon and not on Myrtle Beach sand at noon.

Pawleys Island and Georgetown County: a different system entirely

At the southern end of the Grand Strand the approach changes shape. Instead of closing the beach for part of the day, Georgetown County keeps it open and regulates the leash.

According to the tourism board, "Pets are allowed year-round, but they must be on a leash between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m." and "Between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., they can be off-leash if they are trained for voice command."

Two honest caveats on that one. First, Georgetown County's own website would not load for us during research, so this is the board's wording rather than the county's ordinance text. Second, an off-leash allowance conditional on voice command is exactly the kind of provision that gets amended. If the evening off-leash window is the reason you are choosing Pawleys, call Georgetown County and confirm it before you travel.

The boardwalk is stricter than the beach

This surprises people who assume a promenade is more permissive than sand. It is the other way round.

From 1 May through Labor Day, dogs are allowed on the Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade "only between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m." Five hours, and they are early ones. The beach itself reopens to dogs at 5:00 p.m.; the boardwalk does not.

From the day after Labor Day through 30 April, the boardwalk takes dogs at any time.

What the ordinance says about everything else on the sand

The Myrtle Beach ordinance chapter is long, and several of its non-dog rules land directly on a dog owner's day.

No glass. "It shall be unlawful for any person to carry or possess any glass, bottle or glassware on the public beaches or public beach accesses." Broken glass in sand is a paw injury, so this one is on your side.

No fires and no propane grills, anywhere on the public beach or the accesses.

No alcohol on the beach, the accesses or the street ends.

Nothing left out overnight. Between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. it is unlawful to leave equipment on the beach, and anything still there in that window "may be removed from the beach by the governing agency."

A 75-yard exclusion zone around every pier. "No aquatic activity of any kind may occur within 75 yards of any pier." If your dog swims, keep well clear of the piers.

Surf fishing is legal and common, which means hooks, line and cut bait on the sand. The ordinance goes as far as making it unlawful to bait or fish for sharks or other marine animals that may endanger the public within a mile of the beach, which tells you what the fishing culture looks like.

Do not disturb the dunes. Sea oats, beach grass and sand fencing are all protected by ordinance, and a dog digging into a dune line is a problem.

North Myrtle Beach adds a rule that is a dog rule in practice even though it does not mention dogs: "If you dig a hole on the beach, you must fill it in before leaving." Dogs dig. Fill it in.

Choosing a beach, practically

If you have one summer morning: any of the three towns before 10:00 a.m. Get there early, because that window is also the coolest part of the day.

If you have a summer evening: Myrtle Beach or Surfside after 5:00 p.m., or North Myrtle Beach after 4:00 p.m. by ordinance. The evening is the better choice with a dog anyway, since the sand has cooled.

If you are visiting in the first half of May: North Myrtle Beach is unrestricted until 15 May while Myrtle Beach and Surfside are already restricted.

If you want a full unrestricted beach day: come between the day after Labor Day and 30 April. That is more than seven months of the year with no time limit at all, and it is the strongest argument for an off-season Grand Strand trip with a dog.

If you want an evening off-leash run: Pawleys Island is the only place with a published allowance, and you should confirm it first.

Our wider guide to beaches and national parks with dogs covers how to read a jurisdiction patchwork like this one before you travel, and summer heat safety for pets covers the back-of-the-hand test for hot sand, which matters on an exposed South Carolina beach even inside the legal hours.

One thing to sort out before you go

The Grand Strand's emergency veterinary hospital is closed during the weekday working day. Animal Emergency Hospital of the Strand publishes hours of 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday to Thursday, continuous from Friday evening through Monday morning, and 24 hours at weekends and on major holidays. That means the uncovered window is roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, which is exactly when you are likely to be on a beach.

So save two numbers, not one. Animal Emergency Hospital of the Strand on (843) 445-9797 for nights, weekends and holidays, and a daytime practice such as Veterinary Clinic of Myrtle Beach on (843) 444-1234 for weekday hours. Our emergency vet guide covers what to have ready before you call.

Where to stay

Staying inside Myrtle Beach city limits puts you closest to the boardwalk and its early-morning dog window. Staying in North Myrtle Beach gives you the two-week head start in early May and the later 4:00 p.m. reopening. Staying south towards Surfside or Pawleys trades nightlife for quieter sand.

Visit Myrtle Beach lists accommodation on its own pet-friendly page, though it does not attach a policy to individual properties, so confirm directly with any hotel before booking. The PetCompass hotel directory covers the wider region, and our questions to ask before booking a pet-friendly hotel list is the one to run through on the phone.

Conclusion

One beach, several sets of rules. Myrtle Beach and Surfside close to dogs from 10 to 5 between 1 May and Labor Day. North Myrtle Beach closes from 10 to 4 between 15 May and Labor Day, with a tourism board page that says otherwise. Georgetown County regulates the leash instead of the clock. The boardwalk is the strictest thing on the coast at five hours a day.

And for more than seven months of the year, none of it applies. If you have any flexibility at all, come in October or April, walk the beach at noon, and let the summer visitors work out the timetable.

Frequently asked questions

Are dogs allowed on the beach in Myrtle Beach?

Yes, outside the summer midday window. City ordinance section 5-13 states animals are not allowed on the beach between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from 1 May up to and including Labor Day. Outside that season dogs are allowed at any time of day.

What is the leash rule on Myrtle Beach?

A hand-held leash not exceeding seven feet in length, with the animal under the direct control of the person having custody of it. The seven-foot maximum applies all year, and North Myrtle Beach publishes the same seven-foot limit.

Do the dog rules change between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach?

Yes. Myrtle Beach closes to dogs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. starting 1 May. North Myrtle Beach closes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting 15 May, according to the city's own pages. The two towns are separate municipalities with separate ordinances.

Why do the tourism board and the city give different hours for North Myrtle Beach?

They do, and we could not reconcile it. Visit Myrtle Beach publishes 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from 15 May to 15 September. The City of North Myrtle Beach publishes 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from 15 May through Labor Day on two separate pages. The ordinance is the law, so follow the city, and treating 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as closed keeps you compliant either way.

Can dogs go on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk?

Only between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. from 1 May through Labor Day. From the day after Labor Day through 30 April, dogs are allowed on the boardwalk at any time. That summer window is narrower than the beach's own.

Can my dog be off leash anywhere on the Grand Strand?

The only published allowance is in Georgetown County, where the tourism board states pets can be off leash between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. if trained for voice command. The county's own website was unreachable during research, so confirm with Georgetown County before relying on it.

Sources

Rules, hours and facilities change. Confirm with the managing agency before you rely on any of it.