Is your beach umbrella or tent legal in Myrtle Beach area? Here’s what local laws say
Soaking up sun is one of the best ways to enjoy the beach, but too much UV can be painful or even dangerous. If you’re headed to a Grand Strand beach this summer, sun protection is essential.
But when it comes to umbrellas, tents and other shading devices, each municipality enforces different laws. No matter which beach you visit, here’s what you need to know if you don’t want to relocate your beach set-up.
Horry County
In unincorporated Horry County, only umbrellas and small pop-up or blow-up shades for babies are allowed on beaches. All other shading devices, like tents and Shibumi Shades, are banned year-round.
Umbrellas must have circular shades no larger than 7.5 feet in diameter, while infant cabanas are limited to 4 feet in width, 3 feet in depth and 3 feet in height.
The county also prohibits connecting umbrellas and restricts placement. Folks can’t set up a shading device anywhere it could obstruct a lifeguard’s view or within 10 feet of a franchise’s established umbrella line. If there isn’t an established umbrella line, devices must be placed above the high-tide line.
Additionally, county personnel can establish emergency vehicle access lanes where shading devices are banned. In Horry County, these areas are 10 feet wide and extend from the dunes toward the sea.
North Myrtle Beach
Beach shade laws in North Myrtle Beach change seasonally. From May 15 through Labor Day, the city restricts shading devices to circular umbrellas and shades for infants 18 months and younger.
During that season, umbrellas are limited to a maximum diameter of 9 feet and a maximum height of 7.5 feet, while baby shading devices can’t exceed 3 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
The rest of the year, the city allows additional devices, including cabanas, Shibumi Shades, tarps and more.
No matter the season, shading devices aren’t allowed in emergency vehicle access lanes, which run perpendicular to the shoreline and are established approximately 20 to 25 feet from the dune line.
Myrtle Beach
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, only circular umbrellas with diameters 7.5 feet or smaller and children’s tents with maximum dimensions of 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 3 feet high are permitted on beaches in the city of Myrtle Beach.
Like North Myrtle Beach, the city of Myrtle Beach relaxes restrictions after Labor Day. Other shading devices up to 144 square feet, or 12 feet by 12 feet, and up to 9 feet tall when installed are permitted the rest of the year.
All shading devices cannot obstruct a lifeguard’s view and must be established above the high-tide line and at least 10 feet from franchises’ established umbrella lines.
The city can also create emergency vehicle access lanes where shading devices aren’t permitted. According to the Code of Ordinances, these lanes may be 10-feet wide and extend from the lifeguard stand to the dune line, though officials can increase or decrease the area.
Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach maintains the same beach shading device restrictions year-round.
The town’s Code of Ordinances defines umbrellas as circular shading devices with a center pole that doesn’t exceed 9 feet in diameter and 7.5 feet in height, and it classifies baby tents as devices no larger than 31 inches tall, 31.5 inches wide and 38 inches deep.
All shading devices must be set up at least 8 feet from the dune line to allow emergency vehicles and behind lifeguard stands, so they don’t obstruct the guard’s view.
Surfside classifies all other shading devices, including cabanas, tarps and Shibumi Shades, as tents. These tents are required to have straight tie-downs, can’t exceed 10 feet by 10 feet in size and must be set up contiguous to the town’s emergency lane with at least a 10-foot distance from other tents.
The town allows a single row of tents from Melody Lane to 17th Avenue North with a few exceptions. Tents must be established at least 25 feet from most emergency apparatus accesses, 100 feet south of the pier apparatus access, 150 north of the pier apparatus access and 300 feet from the fishing pier itself.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 6:00 AM.