New Boating Laws In The Sunshine State

Florida is home to more than 1 million recreational boats, an endless boating season, and a seemingly perpetual fight over anchorage rights. The state legislature wrapped up a busy spring session in May to pass several new boating laws.

Here’s a recap:

PASSED: Anchoring Limitation Areas

Effective July, counties with populations of 1.5 million or greater may prohibit anchoring more than one hour during overnight hours for more than 30 days over a six-month period. The result will be reduced anchoring options in Biscayne Bay beyond tightened restrictions approved last year and possible anchoring restrictions added in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Palm Beach. The law also increases the distance from a public mooring field that a vessel is authorized to anchor from 100 feet to 300 feet. The sponsoring legislator cited the challenges of congestion, environmental damage, and safety as justification.

Existing state law allows counties to establish Anchoring Limitation Areas which restrict anchoring to 45 days within established areas. “They’re just picking out certain areas and moving the problem around,” says David Kennedy, manager of BoatU.S. Government Affairs. “That isn’t the way the state should be setting policy, in our view, particularly in light of the more effective Vessel Accountability Act that passed this session.” As this issue went to press, BoatU.S. has requested that Gov. Ron DeSantis veto this legislation.

PASSED: Boater Freedom Act

Effective July 1, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers can no longer conduct random vessel safety inspections without probable cause, which means boaters can no longer be pulled over for safety compliance checks. [Note: The U.S. Coast Guard can still stop boaters for safety compliance checks.] The law directs FWC to create a five-year safety inspection decal program linked to vessel registration. A “Florida Freedom Boater” decal to be developed will show law enforcement the boater has taken the necessary steps to maintain proper safety requirements. The law also prohibits local bans on vessels based on fuel type, so gasoline engine bans on Florida lakes are overridden by this new legislation.

PASSED: Vessel Accountability Act

Effective January 1, 2026, a no-cost permit is required for long-term anchoring (14 days or more within a 30-day period). Obtaining a permit requires a boater to provide basic information about the boat and owner, including contact information.

“We don’t see this as a significant burden on responsible cruising boaters,” says Kennedy. “It provides a simple way to keep track of long-term anchored vessels by registering on an app.” Details on the permit process will come from FWC.

The legislative target of the new law is boaters who use a transient anchorage as a permanent one. The law also streamlines the process for law enforcement and removal of derelict and public nuisance boats that are found to be taking on water, have broken loose from anchor, or don’t have a means of propulsion (the engine must work), among other infractions. Now a vessel can be declared a public nuisance if it’s found to be at risk of becoming derelict three times within a 24-month period. The law also updates other civil and criminal liabilities associated with registration and long-term anchoring and boating citations.

“This legislation, championed by Senate President Ben Albritton and sponsored by Miami-Dade Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, takes a nuanced approach to addressing the issue of at-risk and derelict vessels,” noted Kennedy.

PASSED: Lucy’s Law

Named for Lucy Fernandez, 17, who died when the boat she was aboard capsized after striking a channel marker. Alcohol is suspected to have been a factor; the driver refused a breath alcohol screening test. He was charged with vessel homicide. Effective July 1, the law aligns boating offenses with corresponding vehicular driving offenses for leaving the scene of a boating accident, reckless operation of a vessel, BUI manslaughter, and vessel homicide with the corresponding driving offenses. The law prohibits a person from knowingly providing false information in a vessel accident report and requires anyone convicted of a noncriminal boating infraction to complete a boating safety course.

PASSED: Water Access Facilities

Expands the Florida Boating Improvement Program to allow the program to provide grants for publicly owned parking for boat-hauling vehicles and trailers. Studies indicate that inadequate parking at public boat ramps is a major factor limiting public access to the water in Florida. Having helped secure an expansion of FBIP, BoatU.S. will now work to secure state funding to support the program.

FAILED: Anchoring Or Mooring At Seaports

This bill could have impacted recreational boaters in Fernandina, Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Palm Beach, Miami, and Key West by authorizing certain seaports to designate protection zones up to 1,500 feet from a seaport entrance. Overnight anchoring would have been banned in these protection zones, which are normally authorized by the Coast Guard. “It is BoatU.S. policy to preserve anchoring and mooring options for active, responsible cruising boaters,” says Kennedy. “We also don’t support the long-term storage of boats on anchor alone.”