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Can my dog go on the beach?

Melbourne dog beach rules, summer 2026–27: 36 beach sections across 6 councils, plus 3 councils that only publish a map.

Updated · every rule checked against the council source on

The 10-second version

  • Most Port Phillip Bay councils restrict dogs on beaches from 1 November to 31 March. Frankston starts 1 December; Hobsons Bay runs to 30 April.
  • Typical summer pattern: dogs off the sand from about 10am to 7.30pm, allowed early and late. Each council differs.
  • Year-round dog beaches include St Kilda West, Sandown Street (Brighton), Sandringham Harbour, Altona Dog Beach, Keast Park (Seaford) and The Narrows (Queenscliff).

Melbourne's bayside councils each set their own dog rules for the beach, and most of them change on 1 November. The usual summer pattern is dogs off the sand from late morning to evening, with early-morning and evening sessions still open. A few beaches stay off-leash all year.

This page puts every council's summer rule in one place, beach by beach, with a link to the council's own page and the date we checked it. Pick a beach in the checker and it works out the answer for the current Melbourne date and time, including an approximate sunrise for "sunrise to 10am" rules. Or choose another date and time to plan ahead.

Signs on the beach always win. Councils can change orders, close sections for nesting birds, or move markers. Where a council doesn't publish a rule (for example winter hours on some Bayside beaches), the checker says Not stated instead of guessing.

Dog beaches open all year

“Open all year” means the council lists dogs as allowed off-leash there all year. Check local signs for closures, such as bird-nesting areas.

City of Port Phillip

Port Melbourne, Middle Park, St Kilda, Elwood

1 November to 31 March: dogs only in set places and times. 1 April to 31 October: dogs are allowed on the sand of all Port Phillip beaches (on and off leash).

Sandridge Beach (dog section)

Port Melbourne · Between the rock groyne opposite Barak Road and the rock groyne opposite Cumberland Road

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash all day
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Foreshore dog regulations map (Sep 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Off-leash
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Pets factsheet (Feb 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Sandridge Beach (dog section)

Port Melbourne Beach (Yacht Club to Lagoon Pier)

Port Melbourne · Between Port Melbourne Yacht Club and Lagoon Pier

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash all day
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Foreshore dog regulations map (Sep 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Off-leash
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Pets factsheet (Feb 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Port Melbourne Beach (Yacht Club to Lagoon Pier)

Port Melbourne Beach (Yacht Club to Station Pier)

Port Melbourne · Between Port Melbourne Yacht Club and Station Pier

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash 7.30pm–10am; no dogs at other times
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Foreshore dog regulations map (Sep 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Off-leash
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Pets factsheet (Feb 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Port Melbourne Beach (Yacht Club to Station Pier)

Middle Park Beach

Middle Park · Between Kerferd Road Pier and Langridge Street (no dogs elsewhere in summer)

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash 7.30pm–10am; no dogs at other times
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Foreshore dog regulations map (Sep 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Off-leash
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Pets factsheet (Feb 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Middle Park Beach

St Kilda Beach (dog sections)

St Kilda · Pier Road (north-west end) to the drainage channel / St Kilda Pier, and Brookes Jetty to the northern end of the St Kilda Marina car park

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash all day
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Foreshore dog regulations map (Sep 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Off-leash
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Pets factsheet (Feb 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: St Kilda Beach (dog sections)

Elwood Beach (dog section)

Elwood · Between the rock groyne south of Point Ormond and the groyne in front of Elwood Angling Club (no dogs elsewhere in summer)

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash 7.30pm–10am; no dogs at other times
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Foreshore dog regulations map (Sep 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Off-leash
Source: City of Port Phillip: Dog parks and beaches (council, seen in search results); City of Port Phillip: Pets factsheet (Feb 2025) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Elwood Beach (dog section)
  • Dogs must be on leash on beach paths and boardwalks, and put back on leash before leaving the sand.
  • Greyhounds must stay on leash even in off-leash areas.
  • South Melbourne Beach is a no-dog zone in summer (council map, Sep 2025).

Bayside City Council

Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris

1 November to 31 March: off-leash hours limited to early morning and evening, and some sections are dog-free in the middle of the day. Hampton Beach is dog-free all summer. From 1 April to 31 October there is more off-leash access; the council points to its interactive map for details.

Ricketts Point (McGregor Ave to Beaumaris Yacht Club)

Beaumaris · All-day off-leash section

Check now: Ricketts Point (McGregor Ave to Beaumaris Yacht Club)

Ricketts Point (Fourth St to McGregor Ave)

Beaumaris

Rest of the year
On leash at all times
Source: Bayside City Council: Statement on off-leash dog restrictions (updated 20 Aug 2025: current rules stay) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Ricketts Point (Fourth St to McGregor Ave)

Ricketts Point (Yacht Club to Life Saving Club)

Beaumaris

Rest of the year
On leash at all times
Source: Bayside City Council: Statement on off-leash dog restrictions (updated 20 Aug 2025: current rules stay) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Ricketts Point (Yacht Club to Life Saving Club)

Ricketts Point (Beaumaris LSC to Dalgetty Rd)

Beaumaris

Note: Council page says “after 7.30am”; its dog-free hours suggest 7.30pm.

Check now: Ricketts Point (Beaumaris LSC to Dalgetty Rd)

Ricketts Point (Dalgetty Rd to Sea Scouts boat ramp)

Beaumaris

Rest of the year
On leash at all times
Source: Bayside City Council: Statement on off-leash dog restrictions (updated 20 Aug 2025: current rules stay) (council, seen in search results)
Check now: Ricketts Point (Dalgetty Rd to Sea Scouts boat ramp)
  • Winter rules below come from a dog-park directory where the council page doesn't list them, and are labelled that way.
  • Two Bayside council pages say “after 7.30am” for Black Rock Beach and the Beaumaris LSC–Dalgetty Road section. Their dog-free hours (10am to 7.30pm) suggest 7.30pm is meant. Check the signs.
  • Dogs are prohibited from the intertidal rock platforms and seagrass beds of Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary.

City of Kingston

Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale, Chelsea, Bonbeach, Carrum

Summer regulations 1 November to 31 March; winter regulations 1 April to 31 October.

Kingston foreshore beaches (Mentone to Carrum)

Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale, Chelsea, Bonbeach, Carrum · All Kingston beaches except the Mentone 24-hour area and the Mordialloc No Dog Zone

1 Nov – 31 Mar
Off-leash sunrise–10am; no dogs 10am–7.30pm; on leash 7.30pm–sunrise
Source: City of Kingston: Foreshore dog regulations, 1 Nov–31 Mar (map) (council); Bayside News: Rules restrict off-leash dogs (7 Nov 2024) (news report, seen in search results)
1 Apr – 31 Oct
On leash 11am–3pm; off-leash at other times
Source: Bayside News: Rules restrict off-leash dogs (7 Nov 2024) (news report, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
Not stated by the council: check the signs
Check now: Kingston foreshore beaches (Mentone to Carrum)
  • Off-leash on sand only. Dogs must be on leash on Beach Road paths and before reaching an off-leash area.
  • Winter hours below come from a local news report of the council rules (Bayside News, Nov 2024).

Frankston City Council

Seaford, Frankston

Summer beach restrictions run 1 December to 31 March (not from 1 November). Outside the restricted hours, and the rest of the year, dogs must be on a lead except in designated free-roam areas.

Frankston and Seaford beaches (other than Keast Park)

Frankston, Seaford

1 Dec – 31 Mar
No dogs 9.30am–7.30pm; on leash at other times
Source: Frankston City Council: Free roam, on leash and prohibited areas for pets (council); Frankston City Council: A safer summer in Frankston (council, seen in search results)
Rest of the year
On leash at all times
Source: Frankston City Council: Free roam, on leash and prohibited areas for pets (council)
Check now: Frankston and Seaford beaches (other than Keast Park)
  • Greyhounds are not permitted off lead, even in council off-leash areas.
  • Keast Park borders Kingston; the two councils' rules differ.

Hobsons Bay City Council

Williamstown, Altona

Williamstown and Altona beaches: no dogs 10am to 9.30pm, 1 November to 30 April, every day. At all other times dogs must be on a leash.

  • Other than the council's listed off-leash areas, dogs must be on leash everywhere in Hobsons Bay.

Borough of Queenscliffe

Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale (Bellarine)

1 December to the last day of February, 9am to 8pm: no dogs on any beach except The Narrows. Dogs must be on a leash everywhere else in the borough at all times.

  • Dogs are prohibited from fenced dunes and coastal vegetation, and must not disturb nesting hooded plovers or resting seals.

Councils that publish only a map

These councils show beach rules on an interactive map, not as a list. We don't copy rules we can't read reliably, so they're not in the checker.

City of Greater Geelong (incl. most of the Bellarine)

On-leash everywhere unless signed. Beaches have off-leash areas, “timeshare zones” whose rules change by time of day or season, and dog-free areas. The details are only on the council's interactive dog-walking map.

Mornington Peninsula Shire

Bay and Western Port beaches have different controls beach by beach, shown on the Shire's interactive map. The Bass Strait coast from Flinders to Portsea (Mornington Peninsula and Point Nepean National Parks) is dog-prohibited all year.

Wyndham City Council

Off-leash dog areas are listed on the council's map; its page doesn't list beach times. A dog-park directory reports off-leash sections at Werribee South (East Beach, about 150 m between O'Connors Rd and Duncans Rd) and Campbells Cove. Treat these as unconfirmed.

Signs on the beach always win. Councils can change orders, close sections for nesting birds or works, and move zone markers. Times here are Melbourne local time; “sunrise” is the actual sunrise, which the checker estimates.

All sources

18 of 23 sources are council pages or council documents. Others are labelled.