Taking a truck on the NC ferries: limits, reservations and 2027 tolls

The short version

NCDOT runs seven vehicle ferry routes, and trucks ride all of them. The state rule caps vehicles at 65 feet long, 12 feet wide and 13.5 feet high. [12][13]

Weight limits depend on the boat. The smaller Hatteras Class ferries top out at 80,000 pounds, and the bigger River and Sound Class boats take up to 120,000 with enough axles. [12]

Tractor-trailers and dump trucks booking the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter runs to Ocracoke must call (252) 791-3300. NCDOT won't honor a website booking for a high-tonnage vehicle. [3]

Tolls are coming to every route. NCDOT has recommended rates by vehicle length, the Board of Transportation votes Nov. 5, 2026, and the law says tolls start Jan. 1, 2027. [1][2]

Everything here is as of October 2026. Schedules and rules change, so check before you roll. [1][13]

The routes that carry vehicles

NCDOT calls its ferry system the second-largest state-run system in the country, with about 800,000 vehicles a year on seven regular routes. [10]

Cherry Branch to Minnesott Beach, across the Neuse River, is the busiest. It carried 198,925 vehicles in fiscal 2026. The crossing takes 20 minutes, with boats about every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. [2][13]

Hatteras to Ocracoke carried 168,280 vehicles and Southport to Fort Fisher 159,351. Hatteras takes 70 minutes and Southport 35. [2][13]

From Oct. 20 through December, Hatteras has 17 departures each way, from about 5 a.m. to midnight. Southport's fall weekday boats leave from 5:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. [13]

The long Pamlico Sound runs are Cedar Island to Ocracoke, 2 hours 15 minutes, and Swan Quarter to Ocracoke, 2 hours 40 minutes. Each has three sailings a day each way this fall. [13]

Aurora to Bayview, across the Pamlico River, and Currituck to Knotts Island each take 30 minutes. Currituck runs five round trips a day. [13]

Ocracoke has no bridge, so everything delivered there comes off one of the three Ocracoke ferries. An emergency route from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe runs when storms cut NC 12. [10][13]

Size and weight limits

The state's ferry rules set a 65-foot length, 12-foot width and 13.5-foot height limit on the listed vessels. [12]

If your truck needs an oversize/overweight permit for the road, the permit has to be in the cab. Without it, the ferry won't load you. [12]

NCDOT's ferry pages say special permits are available for vehicles longer than 65 feet. We found no description of how to get one, so call ahead. [7][13]

On the 150-foot Hatteras Class boats, the limit is 40,000 pounds with two axles plus steer, 60,000 with three, and 80,000 with four or five. [12]

The 180-foot River Class and 220-foot Sound Class boats allow 92,000 pounds with five axles plus steer, 108,000 with six and 120,000 with seven. [12]

Our tip: if you're heavy, ask which boat is running your sailing before you commit to the route. [12]

Rules once you're on board

Once parked, set the emergency brake, put it in park and shut the engine off. Ferry staff will not drive vehicles on or off for you. [12]

Dead vehicles are refused unless a running vehicle tows them. If your truck dies on board and needs a tow off, the owner pays the tow company. [12]

Tracked equipment rides only on a truck or trailer. The ferry can also refuse smelly cargo, and liquid loads that aren't in tightly closed tanks or containers. [12]

The ferry can refuse any load it thinks puts safe operation at risk. Mail trucks may get priority loading. [12]

The schedule warns that vehicles may be screened at random before boarding. Drivers with a vendor pass agree to Coast Guard-required random screening. [13][6]

Reservations and priority passes

Five of the seven routes are first come, first served, including Hatteras to Ocracoke. Only Cedar Island and Swan Quarter to Ocracoke take vehicle reservations, up to 90 days ahead. [3]

Claim your reservation at least 30 minutes before departure or it is canceled. Only the vehicle is charged, not passengers. [3]

Reservations can also be made by phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY (800-293-3779). Change or cancel by 4 p.m. the day before to get a refund. [3]

Businesses serving Ocracoke more than twice a week can buy a vendor priority pass for the Hatteras route. It costs $150 per vehicle, runs to Dec. 31 and lets you use the priority lane. [5][6]

You must be in the priority lane 10 minutes before departure, and boarding is still at the attendant's discretion. Apply by business or cashier's check; processing takes up to a week. [5][6]

In summer, Hatteras waits can reach three hours. NCDOT says to arrive at Hatteras by 9 a.m., and that leaving Ocracoke before 2 p.m. usually means no wait. [8]

Tolls now and in 2027

Today only three vehicle routes charge. Cedar Island and Swan Quarter cost $15 under 20 feet, $30 for 20 to 40 feet and $45 for 40 to 65 feet, one way. [4]

Southport to Fort Fisher costs $7, $14 and $28 for the same length classes. Length means the whole vehicle or combination. [4]

A 2026 state law requires tolls on every route by Jan. 1, 2027. The money can only go to replacing vessels. [1][2]

NCDOT's Oct. 8 recommendation keeps current rates and adds Hatteras to Ocracoke at $10, $20 and $30. Cherry Branch, Aurora and Knotts Island would match Southport at $7, $14 and $28. [2]

NCDOT estimates the new tolls would raise about $4.4 million a year, less than vessel replacement needs. It plans to report back in fall 2027 with possible increases. [2]

There's no separate commercial rate in the recommendation. A 53-foot rig would pay the 40-to-65-foot rate like any other vehicle that long. [2]

Comments on the rates are open online through Oct. 23, 2026, and the Board is set to vote Nov. 5. [1][25]

On Oct. 8, the Board also asked lawmakers to push the start to at least April 1, 2027. Only the General Assembly can change the date. [23][24]

Hazmat, fuel and propane loads

Federal hazmat rules allow a hazmat truck on a ferry if the driver gives the crew the shipping papers, parks where told, sets the brakes and shuts off the engine and lights. [16]

The driver must stay with the truck, make no repairs, release nothing and follow crew instructions. No smoking in or around the vehicle. [16]

Reefer units fueled by diesel or flammable fuel can ride, but can run on board only if rigidly mounted, leak-free and fitted with a reachable shutoff. Dry ice loads need a well-ventilated spot. [16]

Propane and gasoline are in a federal stowage category that limits a passenger boat to 25 passengers, or one per 3 meters of length if that's more. Diesel has no such limit. [17]

That matches a 2015 Ocracoke Observer report of a 25-passenger cap when a propane truck rode an early Ocracoke ferry. We couldn't confirm today's practice. [18]

The state rule, written in 1993, says Coast Guard-regulated hazardous cargo won't be carried, yet fuel trucks do ride. Our advice: call 1-800-BY-FERRY before any placarded load. [12][18]

Weather, NC 12 and checking status

The ferries can change or cancel sailings without notice when conditions are unsafe. If a voyage can't be finished, the toll is still considered earned. [12]

On Sept. 24, 2026, a nor'easter shut six routes, and NCDOT closed NC 12 on Pea Island after the ocean broke through dunes. [26][19]

NCDOT started the Stumpy Point to Rodanthe emergency ferry on Sept. 27. Dare County limited Hatteras-bound ferries to essential workers, critical business vendors and residents. [20]

NC 12 reopened as one gravel lane on Sept. 29 and to two-way traffic on Oct. 3, with lane closures for dune work the following week. [20][21]

Hatteras Inlet shoals, too. The Hatteras route ran a reduced schedule from May 30 to June 25, 2026, while the channel was dredged. [14][15]

The 2026 schedule flags shoaling on the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter runs. Sign up for NCDOT's ferry text or email alerts by route, and follow @NCDOT_Ferry on X. [13][9][1]