News Release

2021 OSV Permit Changes

Date: December 3, 2020
Contact: Liz Davis, 410-629-6087

The National Park Service (NPS) will institute a change to the current pricing and structure of the Over-sand Vehicle (OSV) permit. 100% of the revenue from OSV permit sales stay in the park and are cost recovery for the management of the OSV Zone, used for maintenance, visitor and resource protection, and to enhance visitor safety specific to that area.

The current cost recovery permit fee schedule is the following:

Permit	Valid Hours	VA	MD	Cost
VA Only	Hours vary seasonally	X		$70
Day Use	5 AM - Midnight	X	X	$90
Overnight	24 Hours but must be fishing Midnight to 5 AM	X	X	$110
Bullpen	24 hours	X	X	$150

Effective January 1, 2021, the cost recovery permit fee will change according to the following:

Permit	Valid Hours	Cost
OSV	MD: 24 hours but must be fishing Midnight to 5 AM VA: Hours vary seasonally	$110
Bullpen	24 hours	$200

In the summer season of 2020, the National Seashore saw an 81% increase to OSV Zone use from the average use over the last five years. With this increase of use, there was also an increase of cost. The new cost recovery permit fee is intended to offset this cost to the National Seashore while not creating a significant impact to the visitors of this area.

The total number of vehicles having access to the Maryland OSV zone will remain unchanged at 145. As always, a beach driving permit is required and once the 145-vehicle limit is reached further access is limited to one vehicle on for each vehicle coming off the beach. Many OSV users arrive early and can remain on the beach overnight, if they are awake and fishing, or camping in the “Bull Pen” in a self-contained camper.

Assateague Island is a premier recreational resource, with opportunities to swim, hike, camp, fish, crab, bird, paddle, surf, bike, hunt, and use over-sand vehicles on the island. It is one of the last surviving undeveloped shorelines along the east coast.

OSV permits may be purchased at the North Beach Visitor Contact Station in Maryland and at the Toms Cove Visitor Center in Virginia. For OSV permit information and current access conditions call 410-641-3030 in Maryland or 757-336-6577 in Virginia. For general information about the Seashore and park activities access the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/asis or call 410-641- 1441.