The Town of Ocean City has officially implemented new regulations for its beaches, effective immediately, aimed at significantly improving safety, visibility, and overall enjoyment for all visitors. The updated ordinance now prohibits all tents and places strict limits on canopy use.
Under the new guidelines, any structure defined as a “tent” (having sides) is no longer permitted on Ocean City beaches. However, open-sided canopies are still allowed, provided they meet the following criteria:
- Must be open on all four sides
- Size limit: no larger than 10ft x 10ft
- Keep at least 3 feet of space between your canopy and your neighbor’s
- Anchoring must stay within the footprint of the canopy
- No canopies left unattended before 10:00 a.m.
- Canopies must be placed behind the lifeguard stand
- Baby tents are permitted but no larger than 3ft x 3ft x 3ft
Mayor Rick Meehan commented on the necessity of these changes, stating, “Our beaches get extremely crowded, and we want to make sure that we’re able to provide an experience that everybody can enjoy. We realize that canopies are important for sun protection. We just want to make sure that what we’re not doing is making it so other people can’t enjoy their time out on the beach as well.”