WILMINGTON, N.C. -- If you plan on bringing your four-legged friends to the beach this summer, there's quite a few rules you need to know so you don't end up forking out hundreds of dollars in fines.

• Dogs not allowed on wooden parts of boardwalk or business district and Carolina Beach
• Leashed canines welcome at Freeman Park, Topsail Beach, Fort Fisher and Surf City; not permitted on Wrightsville or Kure Beach
• Those who violate rules will pay between $100 and $250

In Carolina Beach, dogs are not allowed on the wooden parts of the boardwalk at any time or the boardwalk business district. On the municipal beach, they're only allowed on the strand before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. At Freeman Park, dogs can frolic on the shore as long as you have a leash. Leashed canines are also allowed on Topsail Beach, Fort Fisher, and Surf City.

However, dogs are not permitted on Wrightsville or Kure Beach. Tourists said they wish more beaches in the area would allow their pups on the strand.

"I don't think that dogs are a problem on the beach as long as the owners are responsible and follow the leash laws and keep the dogs away from people that don’t want to be around them," said Carol Vroom.

Those who violate the rules can expect to pay between $100 and $250.