New Hanover County, NC Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Facility booking
- First come, first served unless reserved
- Reservation loss
- Flagrant misuse forfeits future privileges
- Fires
- Only in park-provided or approved grills
- Rules source
- Director of parks and gardens sets use rules
- Entry bar
- Registered sex offenders barred from parks
- Amended
- Ord. of 6-7-2021, §§ 7-8
Summary
New Hanover County runs its picnic shelters, fireplaces, tables and benches on a first-come, first-served basis unless a picnic reservation has been issued, per Sec. 41-1(10). Sec. 41-2 lets the parks and gardens director set the rules for reserving and using park facilities, and flagrant misuse of a reservation forfeits future reservation privileges.
(10)Violate the regulation that use of the individual fireplaces, together with tables and benches, follows generally the rule of first come, first served, unless a picnic reservation has been issued. ... (b)Misuse of facilities. Flagrant misuse of parks and recreational facilities will result in forfeit of future reservation privileges.(c)Establishment, enforcement of rules, regulations.(1)The director of parks and gardens has the authority and responsibility to establish and enforce any rules and regulations governing the use and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.(2)A copy of the rules and regulations governing the use and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities may be obtained from the parks and gardens department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 15 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 41-1(10) establishes the baseline: individual fireplaces, along with their tables and benches, are used first come, first served, except where a picnic reservation has already been issued for that spot, meaning a reservation takes priority over walk-up use. Sec. 41-2(c) gives the director of parks and gardens the authority and responsibility to establish and enforce rules and regulations governing the use and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities, and states that a copy of those rules is available from the parks and gardens department; violating any rule the director adopts under this authority is itself treated as a violation of Chapter 41.
Sec. 41-2(b) attaches a consequence to misuse of a reserved facility: flagrant misuse of parks and recreational facilities results in forfeit of future reservation privileges, meaning a group or individual can lose the ability to book county park space again after abusing an existing reservation. Sec. 41-2(a) separately bars open fires anywhere in the parks system; anyone with a reservation must use park-provided grills or grills the parks and gardens department has approved. Sec. 41-2(d) adds that a registered sex offender may not knowingly enter a county-owned, operated or maintained public park, a restriction that runs alongside, not instead of, the reservation system, and Sec.
41-3 lets the director close any section of a park to the public at any time, which can override a standing reservation. of 6-7-2021, §§ 7 and 8.
Violations & Fines
Flagrant misuse of a reserved park facility forfeits future reservation privileges under Sec. 41-2(b). Beyond that, any violation of the director's park-use rules, the open-fire ban, or the sex-offender entry restriction is enforced as a Chapter 41 violation under Sec. 41-5: a misdemeanor with a fine up to $50.00 or up to 30 days in jail, or a civil citation of $100.00 for a first offense, $300.00 for a second, and $500.00 for a third or subsequent offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to reserve a picnic shelter in a New Hanover County park?
What happens if I misuse a park reservation?
Can I build my own campfire at a reserved picnic site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Hanover County
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