February is Deadline for Removing Illegal Moorings

RALEIGH — If you have a freestanding boat mooring in coastal North Carolina waters, and you don’t have a permit, you’re about out of time.

A two-year grace period ends February 1 for unpermitted freestanding moorings in 20 coastal North Carolina counties. The Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) gave mooring owners the grace period to allow them time to get permits for their moorings, or to remove them.

Some boaters use permanent moorings rather than anchors to secure their boats. The CRC voted in 1995 to limit mooring use as part of its efforts to prevent overcrowding of coastal waters. The rules apply in all coastal waters except the Atlantic Ocean. The rules do not apply to anchoring, however; the CRC does not regulate anchoring.

If you want to get a permit for a mooring, you must fall into one of the following two categories:

  • Waterfront property owners -- If you own waterfront property, you may be eligible for a general permit for moorings. This permit allows waterfront property owners to install moorings for their own use, with certain conditions. Commercial moorings may not be permitted with a general permit.
  • Community with water use plan — If you want to install a mooring but don’t own waterfront property, you may apply for a major permit. To get a major permit you must live in a community that has an approved water use plan. A water use plan may be incorporated into local zoning ordinances, or it may be part of a CAMA local land use plan.


    • To apply for a mooring permit, call the Division of Coastal Management office nearest you: Elizabeth City 919/264-3901; Washington 919/946-6481; Morehead City 919/808-2808; Wilmington 910/395-3900.

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    Date Posted: January 26


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