Will Holden Beach NC non

May 09, 2023

A social media post this week had some shellers concerned when it indicated that Holden Beach would no longer allow non-residents to collect seashells on its beach.

Holden Beach is a popular destination for "shellers" to carry out their hobby.

More than 930 people call the North Carolina barrier island home year round. That number swells to more than 10,000 during the summer season.

Holden Beach is 50 miles up the coast from Myrtle Beach.

In a Facebook group called "Carolina Seashellers," a user made a post that said Holden Beach would no longer allow non-residents to come to the town with the purpose of sea-shelling. The user claimed that this rule would go into effect starting in July.

But the claim is untrue. The user, Landon Alexander, said in a Facebook message that the post was made as a joke.

Sea-shelling, usually shortened to "shelling," is a hobby that consists of visiting a beach shoreline and collecting seashells. The goal with shelling is to find the "perfect" shell or to find different types of shells.

According to the Holden Beach Rules and Regulations, residents and non-residents are allowed to collect shells "at their own leisure." In an email, Holden Beach commissioner Brian Murdock wrote that there is no truth to the social media claim and that "everyone is welcome."

While Holden Beach — an incorporated destination with 29 public beach accesses — has not banned non-residents from the beach, other public beaches in states like Maryland have.

With the "public trust doctrine," non-residents and North Carolina residents alike have guaranteed access to the beach — unless there is a state of emergency.