New Utah Boating Regulations for out of state boaters

colbysmith

colbysmith

Active member
Planning to use your boat in Utah? There are new requirements you need to know! Starting July 1, 2020, those with motorized vessels are required to:

Complete an online education course
Pay a $20 annual fee to use a boat at any waterbody in Utah

Both the online education and the $20 fee will be required of owners of boats not currently registered in the state of Utah, but that will be used within Utah. The course, the payment portal, and more information can be found at stdofthesea.utah.gov starting June 30.

Thank you for your cooperation and for doing your part to help protect Utah’s waters from aquatic invasive species!

https://stdofthesea.utah.gov/ais_nonresident_faq.php?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
 
Only those trying to stay legal will care about all the rules. It is almost too much for me to follow the bouncing ball of legalism and that is why I had to leave my native state of California for Nevada. I would rather pay $100 and get a Fed license that is good in the US, with a bit more $$ in Canada, and the same for Mexico. Same for hunting and fishing license. Bob
 
.....and Bob,

How would you feel if Utah contracted a serious zebra mussels infestation because you avoided an inspection or other legalism, but then it turned out that it was your boat that first brought the zebra mussels into Utah?
 
You are 100% right about we all need to follow the rules but there is only one best way to deal with Quagga or other threats, not 50+ different methods state by state. I have AIS stickers on my two boats here in Nevada, I think that works for the waters we share with Arizona but now not for Utah and who knows about California. I have boated in Tahoe. Shasta, and all along 395 and was glad to follow the rules in place. My point is not that we should fail do our best to protect our waterways but that sometimes complicated ends up with non-compliance or folks just up and quit. On the ICW there are now places where no one will moor, too complicated so all the local businesses suffer as folks just power through and do not enjoy those stretches. If I had not seen the post here on a rule in Utah that goes into place in July, I may have taken the five hour trip to Powell only to find out that I need to take a online class and buy a permit (try that move when it is 115 at Wahweap and there is no internet service).
I never turn right on red as I cannot remember which state allows that and which does not. 55 or 65 or 70 or 75? I drive big miles and mostly just see folks speeding and ignoring all the signs along the way.
One of our rules here is "Be Nice" and if in some way I offended you, I apologize but perhaps you threw a dead mackerel at me without asking yourself if I intended harm to the waterways we all love or was expressing a desire to have a more uniform and therefore more obey-able approach to matters such as invasive species.
That being said, again, if I was off base, please give me room to back up and try again!!! See ya. Bob
 
Utah is just joining in on what Idaho and Wyoming have been doing for years with the stickers in order to fund there AIS program. They already charge us in our registration. It only takes one boat to get through. Nobody is inspecting 24/7 until they do there programs will be a failure. One year at Yellowstone when I registered for a slip I was told the inspectors had gone home for the night so I could put in just stay in the marina.
 
bobjarrard":30aqeks6 said:
Only those trying to stay legal will care about all the rules. It is almost too much for me to follow the bouncing ball of legalism and that is why I had to leave my native state of California for Nevada. I would rather pay $100 and get a Fed license that is good in the US, with a bit more $$ in Canada, and the same for Mexico. Same for hunting and fishing license. Bob
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To which Fed license are you referring that would allow not getting a Utah permit?
 
--- Invasive species control is a Federal issue at heart, not a state issue though they are stakeholders. Look at the Colorado River, it goes through two countries and seven states. Quagga mussels do not swim per se like a fish, it is an infected boat, other object or water flow that carries the little buggers. There is no Federal AIS sticker which is my point. If I boat all seven states, will I have to take seven tests, have seven stickers on my boat and try to remember which of seven registrations expire when? The Feds and the States share revenue now, look at highway funds as an example.
--- I was just suggesting that rather than having a fragmented approach to this particular matter, that there might be a better way to deal with the issue. I currently boat in four states (Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona) and want to do the right thing by each location but mussels are mussels (including in the cooling water intakes of atomic power plants and locks of major water ways). Same thing for boat use in different states, I do not have to get an out-of-state registration to drive in each state I visit. I think it is the same for planes, trailers, and other vehicles, only one registration.
--- This is a policy matter post not a denial by myself of the need to take care as a boater to not spread invasive species, the class you take and the sticker/permit/registration do not steam clean my bilge or keep my boat log to be sure that I have seven+days of high temp dry storage between launches in different bodies of water. I could boat Powell, Mead, Mohave, and Havasu all in one day if I wished (long day though) and would need to power wash/steam clean three or more times to be legal.
--- Boating is only one sportsman activity for me, I have lots of other outdoor adventures I enjoy and all of them are under pressure for one reason or another. Poor folks cannot afford the outdoors anymore, nor can they watch a baseball game with their kids. Shame on us!!!
--- I do not like the salmon pens in the PNW, I am sure they are hurting the wild stock. I can live with less hydro and have more spawning possible but not if "no growth" folks will not allow alternate power sources. It is a dialog of choices and there is no win win for all, we have to make difficult choices together and be willing to bend here and there if we want to live in a civil society.
--- So if you wish to have an in depth visit, below please find my full name, phone number and email address. If you want, my home is open to you (at six feet distancing but still open). I live in Boulder City, Nevada by the way, come visit, park in my drive-way, swim in my pool, launch eight minutes away at Lake Mead, and hoist a cool one with me.
--- I think it best for me to not post on this one again, I am here for boat stuff not to argue.
--- Bob Jarrard 714 686-2728 bobjarrard@gmail.com
 
...we have to make difficult choices together and be willing to bend here and there if we want to live in a civil society
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I live and work in the Seattle region. This statement made me laugh... Those days are gone my friend. Being a Kalifornia transplant, you probably realize this. It's their way or no way. Have you not heard?
 
Several years ago we bought a Compac 23 Pilothouse in BC, Canada. Brought it back into the states at Blaine, Washington.

Then trailered it back home to Illinois. Not inspected in Washington. Inspected at the Idaho border. They tagged the motor. At the Montana border they accepted the Idaho tag as we had not relaunched.

No further inspection stations the rest of the way home.
 
I think that may have changed. I've been inspected in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington. Everyone wants their turn to look at my boat. lol. I passed them all (clean inspections that is), but still a pain. I do agree some reciprocity or agreements between states would make it easier for us with trailerable boats! Colby
 
Yes we can be responsible boaters. But there is far wider spread of the muscles than may be recognized. From US Fish and Wild life service.

:
This species is spreading in western states and overall has been reported from the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin.
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Utah already has the Quagga muscle--and has had it for some time. Lake Powell is infested-and most of it is in Utah. Yes, there are inspection stations. My experience is that many of them don't really know what to look for...but my experience is dated to about 5 years ago, when we saw many muscles at Powell.
 
I have noticed that with age you lose muscle mass and with that seems to come a bit of loss of sense of balance. I know that big boats are not in my radar any more but had hoped to get one more shot at cruising, even if on a limited basis. A 25 looks small on paper but huge on the trailer, even the 22 is a hunk but all things are proportionate, smaller boat, less to power wash and dry out!!!! Even if never buy a C-Dory, it has been a hoot to follow the Forums and "meet" so many nice folks along the way. Bob Jarrard
 
I have noticed that with age you lose muscle mass and with that seems to come a bit of loss of sense of balance. I know that big boats are not in my radar any more but had hoped to get one more shot at cruising, even if on a limited basis. A 25 looks small on paper but huge on the trailer, even the 22 is a hunk but all things are proportionate, smaller boat, less to power wash and dry out!!!! Even if I never buy a C-Dory, it has been a hoot to follow the Forums and "meet" so many nice folks along the way. Bob Jarrard
 
Not just a Federal or State issue-- but intra-state.
In Comifornia there are many different takes on the QM issue.
I have boated in some lakes that have no requirements, there are some lakes that just look to see if the bilge is clean, there are some lakes that the boat, motor and trailer has to be DRY, some lakes that require pressure/steam washing and there are some lakes that require a 30 day quarantine before you can launch.
Some lakes that will tag the boat/trailer and if the tag is broke, you have to be re-inspected.
All these various requirements even with the QM sticker required by the state.
 
yes lake powell is infested but the other lakes in Utah are not. At lake powell they now have a free cleaning station that will then give you a clip on your bow that you are mussell-free. I called the utah state # 435 299 9562 really nice guy said he would have somebody meet me at the border and decontaminate my boat. Personally I do not want some college kid with a high pressure sprayer on the inside of my cockpit so I cleaned my boat myself very thoroughly before we left lake powell at 5:30 am. I cleaned it again by hand from bow to stern when I got home now if I let it set for 7 days I am legal and I then can go to any lake in Utah. I will go to gunlock just so I don't have to say powell when I go to yellowstone next week..they don't like powell there!
 
Lake Mead has a cleaning station by the big marina. In the several times I have been there, I have never seen the cleaning station open.
 
C-Hawk":12pfo2l6 said:
Not just a Federal or State issue-- but intra-state.
In Comifornia there are many different takes on the QM issue.
I have boated in some lakes that have no requirements, there are some lakes that just look to see if the bilge is clean, there are some lakes that the boat, motor and trailer has to be DRY, some lakes that require pressure/steam washing and there are some lakes that require a 30 day quarantine before you can launch.
Some lakes that will tag the boat/trailer and if the tag is broke, you have to be re-inspected.
All these various requirements even with the QM sticker required by the state.
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Yet more reason to never visit Comifornia. OR and WA are not far behind. They both try to "out-Kalifornia" Kalifornia.
 
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