Florida boaters face new anchoring permit rules

PLACIDA, Fla. —

Nicholas Calitri, who lives on a sailboat off the Placida boat ramp, is adjusting to new state anchoring rules that require permits for extended stays.

Recently, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) informed Calitri about the new permit requirement.

"He’s like, yeah, I know you're good. He's just a courtesy. And I kind of, like, had a little back and forth about the law. Is the law this or that?" Calitri said.

The law, implemented in January, regulates how long and where boats can remain anchored.

Bradley Johnson, public information officer for Florida Fish and Wildlife, explained the permit process. "If you get the permit, you're good. That permit is good for a year, and you're not required to relocate that vessel. But if your vessel is anchored in a location for 14 or more days in a 30-day period, that's when you would be required to have that permit," Johnson said.

Johnson added that if a boat is moved more than one linear nautical mile away, the permit must be updated. "At that time, either they may move that vessel or that year expires, will need to update and renew that permit, with whatever that updated location is," he said.

The permit system is designed to help FWC contact vessel owners more easily. "We now know where those vessels are located, as well as who's the responsible party for that vessel," Johnson said.

Johnson emphasized the importance of the permit, especially during storm recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast. "A lot of things happen in the state of Florida, weather events, hurricanes, stuff that can happen that can impact that boat. And we want to be able to get ahold of that vessel owner," he said.

The permit is free and can be obtained online.

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