Folks hoping to drive their rig on the beaches at Cape Hatteras National Seashore soon will be able to print out a permit at home/Kurt Repanshek file photo

Beginning in mid-March, if you want an off-road vehicle permit for Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina, you'll be able to print one at home. Seashore officials say the changes are being made to increase user convenience, provide new options for park visitors wishing to purchase an ORV permit, and increase efficiency by reducing the cost associated with collecting permit fees.

ORV Permit Offices will be co-located with District Visitor Centers. The current temporary ORV Office trailers will be taken out of service and permit issuing operations will continue at the following locations:

* Bodie Island Lighthouse Visitor Center (starting March 1, 2016)

* Ocracoke Island Visitor Center (starting March 4, 2016)

* Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Visitor Center (starting March 11, 2016)

Beginning March 16, the park will implement a print-at-home permitting system that will allow visitors to obtain educational materials and print their ORV permits through www.recreation.gov. Permit holders will be able to print weekly and temporary annual permits directly from the website without being required to come to a permit office. Park staff say this option offers increased convenience. Permits can be obtained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The cost to purchase a permit through www.recreation.gov will be significantly less than it has been the last two years. The park will no longer charge the additional $4.50 reservation fee, or $6.50 shipping fee. This will reduce the cost of online orders by up to $11.

Weekly and annual permittees will print their permit and temporary proof of permit. The proof of permit will be affixed, using tape, to the inside of the driver's side windshield and must be displayed at all times that the permittee wishes to access the beach with an ORV. Annual permittees will display their print at home permit for up to 30 days and can expect to receive their annual decal via U.S. Mail within 7-10 days.

Over time, the seashore expects the print-at-home system, and elimination of ORV office trailers, will reduce costs associated with collecting ORV permit fees. This will allow more revenue to be spent on improving and maintaining beach access facilities, enforcement, and monitoring.

For answers to frequently asked question about the ORV permit program, you can visit this site.