Vehicle-ferry timetables as published by NCDOT: March 31-Oct. 19, 2026 (summer, 26 departures each way) and Oct. 20-Dec. 31, 2026 (fall/winter, 18 each way); nothing is published for dates after Dec. 31, 2026. Rechecked Oct. 16, 2026.
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~70 min
Operator
NCDOT Ferry Division
Map – Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry, all passengers and vehicles | Free |
| Ocracoke Express passenger ferry, adult, one way | $7.50 |
| Ocracoke Express passenger ferry, adult, round trip | $15.00 |
| Ocracoke Express bicycle surcharge | $1.00 |
The Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry -- the one that carries cars -- is free for all passengers and vehicles in 2026, funded by NCDOT as one of its untolled crossings. The separate, passenger-only Ocracoke Express catamaran (no vehicles) charges $7.50 one way or $15 round trip per adult, plus $1 for a bicycle; children 3 and under ride free. NCDOT's ticket-price page still lists the $7.50 one-way fare. State law (S.L. 2026-41) requires NCDOT to begin collecting tolls on this vehicle ferry by Jan. 1, 2027. On Oct. 8, 2026 NCDOT's Ferry Division recommended to the Board of Transportation a Hatteras-Ocracoke toll of $10 for a vehicle under 20 ft, $20 for 20-40 ft, $30 for 40-65 ft, $5 for a motorcycle, $2 for a bicycle rider and $1 for a pedestrian. These are recommendations only: a second public comment period runs Oct. 9-23 and the Board is scheduled to act on rates on Nov. 5, 2026, so they are not loaded as fares here. Until tolls begin, the vehicle ferry is free. All fares in US dollars (USD).
The Hatteras-Ocracoke corridor is served by two separate NCDOT operations that should not be confused. The main one is the free vehicle ferry, running from the Hatteras Ferry Terminal to a dock at Ocracoke Island's north end (which NCDOT itself labels "South Dock," even though it sits right at the Hatteras Inlet crossing rather than near the village). It is first-come, first-served -- no tickets, no reservations -- and is the primary way to drive on or off Ocracoke without going the long way around through Cedar Island or Swan Quarter.
NCDOT publishes two timetables for it. The summer timetable, March 31 through Oct. 19, 2026, has 26 sailings a day in each direction, roughly every 30 minutes to two hours from before dawn until midnight. From Oct. 20 through Dec. 31, 2026 the fall/winter timetable has 18 sailings a day each way. NCDOT's schedule tool publishes nothing beyond Dec. 31, so this page does not guess at 2027 times.
The 70-minute crossing covers just over 7 km (about 4.5 miles) of open water in a straight line, but the actual run is slower and longer than that distance implies because boats follow a marked channel through Hatteras Inlet that shifts constantly with the sand. NCDOT periodically has to redredge and re-route it: a "critical dredging operation" of Sloop Channel, which feeds the Ocracoke-side dock, forced an alternate, reduced schedule from May 30 through June 24, 2026, before the full 26-trip timetable resumed on June 25.
The second, unrelated option is the Ocracoke Express, a passenger-only catamaran that takes walk-ons and bicycles -- never vehicles -- directly into Ocracoke Village at the Silver Lake waterfront; NCDOT gives its parking at the Hatteras ferry terminal. It runs only from mid-May to early September (Monday-Saturday, no Sunday sailings) for $7.50 one way or $15 round trip, plus $1 for a bicycle. Its 2026 season ran May 5 to Sept. 7, and NCDOT says it is scheduled to resume in May 2027.
The vehicle ferry is free in 2026, but not for long: a 2026 state law requires NCDOT to start charging tolls on it from Jan. 1, 2027. NCDOT has recommended $10 for a car, subject to a Board of Transportation vote scheduled for Nov. 5, 2026.
- Arrive at the terminal several minutes before departure; vehicle lanes close earlier than the foot-passenger gate.
- Check the operator's service alerts before you set out — weather, tides and vessel maintenance change sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: some crossings are card-only and some take cash only.
Frequently asked questions
Not in 2026: the vehicle ferry is free for all passengers and vehicles through Dec. 31. State law requires tolls from Jan. 1, 2027, and NCDOT has recommended $10 for a vehicle under 20 ft, $5 for a motorcycle and $2 for a bicycle rider, pending a Board of Transportation vote scheduled for Nov. 5, 2026. The separate Ocracoke Express passenger catamaran charges $7.50 one way or $15 round trip per adult ($1 extra for a bicycle, free for children 3 and under), but only runs mid-May through early September.
NCDOT's fall/winter timetable, in force from Oct. 20 through Dec. 31, 2026, has 18 departures each way, down from 26 on the summer timetable. The first boat leaves Hatteras at 5:00 a.m. and Ocracoke at 4:30 a.m., and the last leaves each side at midnight. NCDOT has not published times for 2027.
The vehicle ferry crossing takes about 70 minutes on both the summer and the fall/winter timetable. NCDOT does not publish an exact duration for the Ocracoke Express, but its schedule gaps suggest a shorter trip on the faster catamaran.
No reservation is possible or needed for the vehicle ferry -- it's strictly first-come, first-served. For the Ocracoke Express, a reservation is recommended but not required; without one, check in at least 20 minutes before departure.
The vehicle ferry carries cars and is free in 2026, running year-round between the Hatteras Ferry Terminal and a dock at Ocracoke's north end. The Ocracoke Express is a paid, passenger-only catamaran (walk-ons and bicycles, no vehicles) that runs only in summer, landing at the Silver Lake waterfront inside Ocracoke Village rather than the vehicle ferry's north-end dock. Bicycles ride free on the vehicle ferry; the Express charges $1 per bicycle.
No. Its 2026 season ran May 5 to Sept. 7. NCDOT's own page, updated Sept. 8, 2026, says the passenger ferry is scheduled to resume in May 2027 and gives no 2027 dates yet. The vehicle ferry keeps running all year.
On the Hatteras side, at the Hatteras Ferry Terminal off NC Highway 12. On the Ocracoke side, at a dock NCDOT calls "South Dock," located at the island's north end near the Hatteras Inlet crossing -- not at Silver Lake in the village, which is where the separate Ocracoke Express and the Cedar Island/Swan Quarter ferries dock.
Yes -- Hatteras Inlet's sand shifts often, so NCDOT periodically dredges and re-marks the channel, which can force a reduced schedule for days or weeks, as happened from late May to late June 2026. Check NCDOT's live Current Conditions board or call (252) 996-6000 before you travel.