09-05-2025
New law aims to hold owners accountable for derelict boats
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – State lawmakers passed a bill to crack down on abandoned boats with the hopes of holding owners financially responsible. The new measure aims to increase penalties for owners of derelict boats.
Florida is a haven for boaters, many calling it the 'boating capital of the world.' But when tragedy hits, like hurricanes Helene and Milton, hundreds of vessels become displaced.
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State lawmakers now want to hold owners of these very boats accountable, with Senate Bill 164. The bill passed out of both chambers and now awaits the governor's signature.
The legislation aims to crack down on vessels left to deteriorate in state waters, making it illegal to reside on a derelict vessel.
'It also allows law enforcement to declare vessels with repeated violations as public nuisances and holds vessel owners solely responsible for the relocation and disposal costs,' said State Rep. Fabian Basabe (R-Miami Beach).
And for those who refuse to shell up the cash, it could lead to fines and potentially prevent them from purchasing another vessel in the future.
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8 On Your Side met with Officer Bradley Johnson with Florida's Fish and Wildlife. He talked about the negative impacts that derelict vessels can have.
'Vessels can damage you know marine sanctuaries, seagrass beds, and important vegetation to our wildlife, in addition to that there could be things like fuel on board, vessels that can sometimes leak out into the water, it can pose a navigational hazard to the public who are out trying to navigate our waterways, especially after a storm, when everything's shifted around,' Bradley Johnson, the Public Information Officer for FWC Division of Law Enforcement said.
Coming off of hurricanes Helene and Milton, FWC removed a total of 469 vessels from state waters, with six that are still under investigation.'We actually have a process where they can turn that boat over to the state of Florida and we can remove and responsibly dispose of that vessel before it becomes derelict, when it can potentially pose those environmental hazards or higher cost to taxpayers to get that vessel removed,' said Johnson.
The vessel-turn-in program can be found here. The cost of removing, destroying, and disposing of eligible vessels is 100% funded by the program.
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