Beach tags confuse every first-time Jersey Shore visitor, and we field the question from nearly every summer guest: what are they, who needs one, and where do you get them? Here is the complete 2026 picture for Ocean City, straight from the city’s own published prices and sales locations.
Who needs a beach tag, and when
Everyone 12 and older must have a beach tag on Ocean City NJ beaches from June 1 through September 7, 2026. Children under 12 are always free. Outside those dates the beach is free for all ages. Tag checkers patrol entrances and the sand throughout the season.
The rule is simple once you have heard it: if you are 12 or older and on the sand between June 1 and September 7, you need a tag on you. Under 12 is always free. The tag is a small pinned badge, and the etiquette is to wear it visibly on your suit, bag, or chair. Checkers do walk the beaches all summer, and at staffed entrances like 12th Street you will pass a tag booth on the way in. It is not a scam and it is not optional: tag revenue funds the beach operations, and every town on this stretch of the shore runs the same system.
2026 beach tag prices
Ocean City NJ beach tags for 2026 cost $35 for a seasonal tag, $20 for a weekly tag, and $10 for a daily tag. Seasonal tags were discounted to $30 if purchased before June 1. Veterans and active military receive seasonal tags free, and children under 12 never need a tag.
Three options, priced by commitment. A daily tag is $10 and makes sense for a single beach day. A weekly tag is $20 and is the standard buy for a Saturday-to-Saturday vacation: it pays for itself on day two. A seasonal tag is $35 (or $30 if you bought during the pre-season discount that ran through May 31) and wins for anyone doing multiple trips in a summer. For a typical family week, the math is easy: adults and kids 12-plus each need a $20 weekly tag, younger kids are free, and the whole crew is legal for less than the cost of a boardwalk dinner.
Where to buy beach tags
Buy tags at City Hall (861 Asbury Avenue, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily), the Route 52 Welcome Center, the Ocean City Music Pier, the Henry Knight Building, or the Aquatic & Fitness Center. During the season, booths at staffed beach entrances, including 12th Street, sell tags on the spot.
The easiest option if you are already in town is City Hall at 861 Asbury Avenue, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in season and only a short detour from the beach path. Driving in over the Route 52 causeway, you can stop at the Welcome Center and arrive with tags in hand. The Music Pier on the boardwalk, the Henry Knight Building, and the Aquatic & Fitness Center sell them too, each on its own hours. And if you forget entirely, the in-season booth at the 12th Street entrance will sell you a tag on the walk in. Our advice to guests: buy weekly tags on arrival day, pin them to the beach bag, and never think about it again.
Buying online and by mail
The city’s official store at store.ocnj.us sells seasonal beach tags online and mails them to you: $35 in season, or $30 during the pre-season discount through May 31. Weekly and daily tags are not sold online; buy those in person at city locations or in-season beach entrance booths.
Ocean City runs a real online store, which is a luxury not every shore town offers. The catch is that only seasonal tags are sold online, so a one-week visitor still buys in person. If you visit more than once a summer, the online seasonal tag ordered in spring at the $30 discount price is the best deal on the island, and it shows up in your mailbox before the season starts. Order early: the discount ends May 31, and the price goes to $35 on June 1.
Free tags for veterans and active military
Veterans and active military members get free seasonal Ocean City beach tags by showing a veteran ID or veteran status on a driver’s license. Pickup locations include City Hall’s Ninth Street entrance at 861 Asbury Avenue, the Route 52 Welcome Center, the 46th Street Welcome Center, and the Ocean City Music Pier.
This is a genuinely good program and it is easy to use: bring a veteran ID, or a driver’s license showing veteran status, to City Hall (Ninth Street entrance), either Welcome Center, or the Music Pier, and walk out with a free seasonal tag. We make sure every veteran who stays with us knows about it before they buy anything.
When the beach is free
Ocean City beaches are free before June 1 and after September 7. In 2026 that means no tags are needed through Memorial Day weekend beach days in May, and the entire fall, winter, and spring. After September 7, lifeguard coverage also winds down, with only a few beaches guarded into September.
The tag season is deliberately narrower than the beach season. May beach days, including Memorial Day weekend, require no tag at all. Then everything after September 7 is free: the warm September ocean, airshow weekend crowds, October walks, the whole off-season. The trade-off is lifeguards. The beach patrol’s full coverage runs from Memorial Day weekend through early September, and after that only a handful of beaches stay guarded, conditions permitting. Free-season swimmers should stick to whatever guarded beaches remain, keep it shallow, and respect that the September ocean has real rip currents with far fewer whistles watching.
Our tag-season tips
Buy weekly tags on arrival day and pin them to beach bags immediately. Order seasonal tags online in spring for the $30 pre-season price. Veterans should get their free tag before buying anything. And remember that tags are for the sand: walking the boardwalk never requires one, and kids under 12 are always free.
A few habits that make tag season painless. First, deal with tags in the first hour of vacation, not on the beach path with a wagon full of kids. Second, pin tags to bags and chairs rather than swimsuits, so they survive the ocean. Third, know what needs no tag: walking the boardwalk, and children under 12, always. Our guests get our full arrival checklist before check-in, and beach tags sit at the top of it for good reason: it is the one shore ritual you cannot skip.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need beach tags in Ocean City NJ in 2026?
Yes. Everyone 12 and older needs a beach tag to be on Ocean City NJ beaches from June 1 through September 7, 2026. Children under 12 never need one. Tag checkers work the beach entrances and the sand during the season, so keep your tag pinned and visible.
How much are Ocean City NJ beach tags in 2026?
In 2026, seasonal tags are $35 (they were $30 if bought during the pre-season discount through May 31), weekly tags are $20, and daily tags are $10. Veterans and active military can get seasonal tags free with ID. Kids under 12 are always free on Ocean City beaches.
Where do you buy beach tags in Ocean City NJ?
City Hall at 861 Asbury Avenue sells tags daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also buy at the Route 52 Welcome Center, the Music Pier, the Henry Knight Building, the Aquatic & Fitness Center, and in-season booths at beach entrances, including the one at 12th Street.
Can you buy Ocean City beach tags online?
Yes, but only seasonal tags. The city's official store at store.ocnj.us sells seasonal tags online ($35 in season, $30 during the pre-season discount) and mails them to you. Weekly and daily tags are in-person purchases at city sales locations or the beach entrance booths during the season.
Are beach tags free for veterans in Ocean City NJ?
Yes. Veterans and active military members receive free seasonal beach tags with a veteran ID or veteran status shown on a driver's license. Pickup locations include the Ninth Street entrance of City Hall, the Route 52 Welcome Center, the 46th Street Welcome Center, and the Ocean City Music Pier.
Do you need a beach tag after Labor Day in Ocean City?
Only through September 7 in 2026. After that date the beach is free for everyone, and it stays free until June 1 of the following season. Keep in mind that lifeguard coverage drops sharply after Labor Day, with only a handful of beaches guarded into September, conditions permitting.