Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Permit Information

NPS Special Use Permit required for every ceremony and vow renewal, regardless of group size. Small ceremonies up to 49 participants with no chairs or structures pay the $100 non refundable application fee. Larger ceremonies (50 or more) or anything with chairs, arches, or tables pay $200 plus ranger monitoring at about $55 per hour. Ceremonies are capped at three hours, music under 50 feet and unamplified, no balloons, confetti, fireworks, or drones. From the third Friday in April through Colu…

Planning Your Day at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

One-Spot Day

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse complex can carry the whole day. Ceremony on the wide beach with the 198 foot spiral tower behind you, portraits on the dunes and at the historic keeper's quarters. One parking area, one permit, and the most recognizable silhouette on the Outer Banks.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

Hold the ceremony at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for the black and white spiral tower and the open Atlantic, then drive up Highway 12 to Bodie Island Lighthouse for portraits at the reflection pond. Two of the four North Carolina lighthouses in one afternoon with markedly different moods.

A Note on Light

From the third Friday in April through Columbus Day, lighthouse ceremonies must occur before 9 am or after 6 pm, which happens to be the best light anyway. Sunrise lights the ocean side of the dunes; sunset silhouettes the lighthouse against the sky. Winter and early spring cut the crowds but add wind exposure.

Ceremony Spots at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — Black and white spiral lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the US, with wide beach surroundings
• Bodie Island Lighthouse — Quieter Outer Banks lighthouse with marsh views, wildlife, and dramatic reflection pond