Dogs on Gold Coast Beaches 2026: Seven Off-Leash Beach and Foreshore Areas, the 200 Metre Flag Rule and Where Dogs Are Banned (QLD)

Dogs are allowed on most Gold Coast beaches, but only on a leash, and they are banned within 200 metres of any flagged bathing area. The beach and foreshore stretches where a dog can run off leash are a short list in the City’s official register: The Spit and Marine Stadium at Main Beach, Paradise Point, Biggera Waters, Labrador, Tallebudgera Beach and Palm Beach South. Biggera Waters is off leash only in the early morning and late afternoon.

This guide reads the City of Gold Coast’s Animal Control Area Register, the legal list behind the dog map, together with the City’s dog exercise and beach pages. The register was consolidated on 28 July 2026, and everything below is as of 9 November 2026. Where the register points to a map, the exact boundary is on the map and not in the words, so use the City’s dog exercise areas page to open it before you go.

Do dogs have to be on a leash on Gold Coast beaches?

Yes, unless you are in a designated off-leash area. The City’s dog exercise page says: “Dogs must be on leash at all times unless in a signed designated off leash area.” Its beach page adds that dogs are allowed on a leash on most beaches, except in designated dog prohibited areas, and that dogs are not permitted within 200 metres of flagged areas.

The 200 metre rule is the first item in the register’s list of places where a dog is prohibited at any time. It covers any flagged bathing area in a bathing reserve in the City. The one exception written into the register is the flagged bathing area inside the off-leash area at The Southport Spit, next to lifeguard tower 45.

Where can my dog go off leash at the beach?

These are the beach and foreshore areas listed in part 2 of the register as off-leash dog exercise areas. Each is “limited within the area indicated” on a numbered City map, so the table gives the register’s description and not a boundary you can rely on without the map.

Area	What the register says	When
The Spit, Sea World Drive, Main Beach	Foreshore between the southern Seaway rock groyne and the Muriel Henchman Avenue beach entrance	No time limit listed
Marine Stadium, Sea World Drive, Main Beach	The eastern area of foreshore within Marine Stadium	No time limit listed
Paradise Point Foreshore, The Esplanade	Foreshore beside Paradise Point Parklands, between the northern platform and The Sovereign Mile bridge	No time limit listed
Biggera Waters Foreshore, Marine Parade	Foreshore beside Quota Park and Marine Parade	5am to 8am and 4pm to 7pm only
Labrador Foreshore, Marine Parade	Foreshore beside Len Fox Park	No time limit listed
Tallebudgera Beach, Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach	North of the Tallebudgera bathing reserve (Lifeguard Tower 16) to the Tallebudgera Creek entrance	No time limit listed
Palm Beach South, Rockview Public Park and Currumbin Creek	South of Lifeguard Tower 13 to the Currumbin Creek groyne, including the inlet of Rockview Public Park	No time limit listed

The City’s beach page names only Tallebudgera Beach, Palm Beach and The Spit as the ocean beaches designated for off-leash exercise. The register also lists the Broadwater and canal-side foreshores above, which is why the table is longer than that sentence. The register says that if an item has no time limit, the area is off leash at all times; if it names hours, the area is off leash only during those hours.

Which beaches ban dogs completely?

Part 1 of the register lists areas where a person is prohibited from bringing a dog at any time. The beach and waterfront entries are:

Area	What the register says
Surfers Paradise beach	From Lifeguard Tower 37 at Higman Street south to Tower 33 at Clifford Street, within the mapped area
North Kirra, Coolangatta, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks, Froggies Beach and Point Danger	Within the mapped areas
Currumbin Point and Currumbin Creek foreshore, Duringan Street	Including the foreshore from the point down the creek, within the mapped area
Tallebudgera Creek foreshore, Palm Beach	The foreshore from the Tallebudgera Bridge to the groyne, within the mapped area
Tallebudgera Tourist Park swimming area, Palm Beach	The swimming area and creek foreshore, excluding the footpath around the tourist park
Jacobs Well Swimming Area, Jacobs Well Road	Within the mapped area
All children’s playgrounds in the City	No dogs at any time

Dogs are also banned from other parks and reserves in part 1, including the HOTA lake area, but this guide is limited to the beach and waterfront. If a place you plan to visit is not in either table, the register’s map is the only safe check.

What are the rules inside an off-leash area?

The City lists these conditions for every off-leash area:

• The person responsible for the dog must be physically able to control it.
• Dogs must be on a leash before entering and leaving the area.
• The dog must be under the immediate supervision of a person aged 17 or over at all times, and able to be controlled by voice command.
• The dog must wear a collar with its registration tag, and must not be a regulated (dangerous or menacing) dog.
• Do not let your dog attack or harm another person or animal, or chase or harm wildlife.
• Manage noise so it does not cause a nuisance, and supervise children at all times.
• Dispose of dog waste properly. An on-the-spot fine may apply if you do not.

The City provides waste bags and dispensers as a courtesy, but says it is still the owner’s responsibility to carry a supply.

Are there set hours at the Broadwater foreshores?

At Biggera Waters the foreshore beside Quota Park is off leash only from 5am to 8am and from 4pm to 7pm. Outside those hours the leash rule applies. Two parks near the water, at Southport and Labrador, also have set hours in the register:

Area	Off-leash hours in the register
Harry Bond Park, Regatta Parade, Southport	September to May: 5am to 7am and 5pm to 7pm daily. June to August: 6am to 8am and 4pm to 6pm daily
Dux Oval, corner of Broad Street and Bath Street, Labrador	5am to 9am and 4pm to 8pm
Biggera Waters Foreshore, Marine Parade	5am to 8am and 4pm to 7pm

Can the City close an off-leash area?

Yes. The register allows the City to temporarily prohibit the use of an off-leash area because of an event or conditions in the area. Examples it gives are building work next to the area and a festival or public event. A temporary ban only takes effect once a notice is placed at each public entrance, so the sign at the gate is what counts on the day.

How do I check the exact boundary?

Each register entry says “limited within the area indicated by the green dotted line” on a numbered map, and prohibited areas use a red dotted line. The maps are published with the register. Start from the Animal Control Area Register page. To report a dog that is not following the conditions, use the City’s Report a problem page for animals; the City says it investigates all reported dog attacks, whether or not they happen in an off-leash area.

Where are the flagged areas, so I know where the 200 metres starts?

The register gives no fixed line for the 200 metre rule, because it is measured from whichever bathing area is flagged. Our lifeguard patrol times guide on this site lists the towers and when they are patrolled. If you can see red and yellow flags, stay at least 200 metres away with your dog in both directions.

Sources

• City of Gold Coast — Animal Control Area Register (consolidated version 28 July 2026, PDF; checked 9 November 2026)
• City of Gold Coast — Dog exercise areas (rules; checked 9 November 2026)
• City of Gold Coast — What’s allowed on Gold Coast beaches? (checked 9 November 2026)

Featured image: The Spit Beach, Gold Coast (photo: Chris Olszewski / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Gold Coast. Rules and boundaries can change; check the signs at the entrance and the City’s dog exercise area map before you go.