Can my dog come today?
A clear yes or no for every beach, checked against the council's own rules, with the nearest beach that does allow dogs.
Pick an area
Every beach grouped by town, with today's answer.
Dorset49 beaches · 26 allow dogs all year
Dogs allowed all year
Beaches where dogs are welcome every day, summer included.
How beach dog bans work
Each council decides
There is no national rule. Each council chooses which of its beaches close to dogs and sets it out in a legal order.
Usually 1 May to 30 September
Some beaches ban dogs in summer, some only ask for leads, and some close one stretch and leave the rest open.
We link to the source
Every beach page links to the council's own rules and shows the date we last checked them.
Common questions
How do I know if my dog is allowed today?
Every beach page shows a clear answer for today, worked out from today's date in UK time and that beach's rules. It also shows the rules month by month, so you can plan ahead.
When do beach dog bans start and end?
Most Dorset beach bans run from 1 May to 30 September. A few beaches use different dates, so check the beach's own page. Outside those dates most beaches are open to dogs again.
Where do the rules come from?
Councils set beach dog rules in legal orders called Public Spaces Protection Orders. Each beach page links to the council's own rules and shows the date we last checked them. Landowners such as the National Trust sometimes add their own requests, and we say so where they do.