OUTER BANKS, N.C. — For Outer Banks travelers, the N.C. Board of Transportation on Thursday asked the General Assembly to delay new statewide ferry tolls until at least April 1, 2027, while NCDOT presented proposed rates that would end free rides on key coastal routes.
State budget language requires the North Carolina Department of Transportation to start charging tolls on all ferry routes by Jan. 1, 2027. Many of those routes have long been free for cars and passengers.
Under the Ferry Division proposal, cars on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route would pay $10 each way for single vehicles smaller than 20 feet, and the Currituck-Knotts Island route would be $7 each way. Other routes would also be $7 for comparable cars under a related briefing, with higher fees for larger vehicles and a $1 pedestrian fee on all routes.
NCDOT expects the toll rates to generate an average of $4.4 million a year for vessel replacement, though Ferry Division Director Jed Dixon said that still falls short of the funding needed to replace a vessel every four years under the statutory target.
The transportation board unanimously passed a resolution calling for the April delay so staff have more time to implement the changes. A public comment period on the recommended rates runs through Oct. 23, and the board could take further action at its Nov. 5 meeting.
Residents of North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties would be able to buy an annual pass for $150 per vehicle once tolling begins. Advocates also continue pressing lawmakers to restore an Ocracoke priority boarding pass that was not included in the budget bill.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Hatteras Village traffic depend heavily on the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry link. Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard’s coastal constituents are among those watching how quickly the General Assembly answers the board’s delay request.
