Stockton Beach and hire cars
Usually not. Driving on Stockton Beach requires a four-wheel drive and a Worimi Conservation Lands beach vehicle permit, and hire agreements can list beach driving as a prohibited use that leaves you liable for damage. Hertz's terms, for example, do exactly that, and they define 4WD as high and low range and exclude AWD, so an AWD SUV hired under those terms is not covered on the sand. The simple alternative is a guided 4WD or quad tour over the same dunes.
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Key facts
- Vehicle rule
- You will need a four-wheel drive vehicle to drive at the Worimi Conservation Lands
- Permit
- All vehicles must be registered and hold a valid WCL beach vehicle permit; NSW National Parks passes do not apply
- Permit prices
- 3-day permit $33, annual permit $88, annual pensioner permit $44
- Where to buy
- Online; paper permits ended on 3 March 2026
- Beach driving area
- More than 19 km of beachfront between the Lavis Lane and Gan Gan entries, plus 350 hectares of dunes in the Recreational Vehicle Area
- Speed limit
- 40 km/h maximum on the beach, 20 km/h when passing vehicles or beach walkers
- Tide
- Avoid driving on the beach one hour either side of high tide
- Hertz terms
- Driving a vehicle on a beach is a prohibited use; its 4WD definition excludes all-wheel drive
Can you drive a hire car on Stockton Beach?
Two separate rules block it. The park requires a four-wheel drive, and the rental agreement decides whether you may take the car on sand at all. For example, Hertz's terms list driving on a beach as a prohibited use, and they define 4WD as a vehicle with a high and low range transmission, which excludes all-wheel drive.
A hired AWD SUV under terms like these is not a 4WD and cannot go on the beach. Read the beach and off-road clauses of your own agreement, and if it does not clearly allow beach driving, do not drive on the sand.
Do you need a permit to drive on Stockton Beach?
Yes. Every vehicle in the Worimi Conservation Lands must be registered and hold a valid beach vehicle permit: $33 for 3 days, $88 for a year, or $44 for an annual pensioner permit. Permits are sold online, since paper permits ended on 3 March 2026, and the prices did not change with the move online. Fines apply to vehicles without a valid permit.
A national parks pass does not cover this park. Walkers, cyclists and horse riders enter free.
Where can you drive, and what are the rules?
There are three entries: Gan Gan at Anna Bay, Lavis Lane at Williamtown and Fern Bay. Stay on the waterfront, do not cross the frontal dune, and do not drive over vegetation or shell accumulations. Dune driving is limited to the Recreational Vehicle Area south of the Lavis Lane entry. Vehicles are also excluded from the beach at Birubi, next to the patrolled swimming area.
The speed limit is 40 km/h, or 20 km/h when passing vehicles or beach walkers. Avoid the beach one hour either side of high tide, deflate tyres as your vehicle manual recommends, and carry a pump and gauge. The beach is unpatrolled and swimming is not advised.
What if you get bogged in a hire car?
The park lists a licensed towing operator, and fees apply. In a hire car, damage from a prohibited use can also fall on you: under Hertz's terms, for example, you are liable for all costs and damages from a prohibited use.
How to see the dunes without driving your own car
The Worimi Conservation Lands site lists authorised tour operators for 4WD tag-along tours, guided 4WD tours, quad bikes and horse riding, and a Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council operation runs quad tours on adjoining land. You pay the operator, and your hire car stays on the road.
If you want to drive your own vehicle on the sand, you need a registered four-wheel drive whose owner or hirer allows beach use in writing, plus the permit.
Where to pick up a car near Stockton Beach
The park entries are Gan Gan Road at Anna Bay, Lavis Lane at Williamtown and Fern Bay. Fern Bay is a narrow one-way 4WD access for experienced drivers, but it has 2WD car parking with a walking track to the dunes.
Birubi, next to the patrolled swimming area, is closed to vehicles on the beach, so park and walk.
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Prices are shown in Australian dollars. Check the pickup point and what the agreement allows on the roads in this guide before you book.
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Questions people ask
Can you drive on Stockton Beach?
Yes, in a registered four-wheel drive with a valid Worimi Conservation Lands beach vehicle permit. Conditionally registered quads and motorbikes are limited to the Recreational Vehicle Area.
Can I take a hire car on Stockton Beach?
Check your agreement. For example, Hertz lists beach driving as a prohibited use.
Is an AWD SUV a 4WD for Stockton Beach?
The park requires a four-wheel drive. Hertz's terms define 4WD as having high and low range and exclude AWD, so a hired AWD SUV is not treated as a 4WD.
How much is the Stockton Beach driving permit?
$33 for 3 days, $88 for a year, or $44 for an annual pensioner permit. Buy online.
Can you drive on Stockton Beach at high tide?
The park asks you to avoid driving on the beach one hour either side of high tide.
What is the speed limit on Stockton Beach?
40 km/h, dropping to 20 km/h when passing vehicles or beach walkers.