US Army Corps of Engineers - different
The Yough reservoir is managed by the USACE. The Corps charges a use fee at their launches. One launch in PA is managed by the Fish & Boat Commission.
Generally the concern with having a permit or registration on a river is related to use of launches, not the river itself. On a lake that’s 100% within a state park, you can be ticketed for not having a permit anywhere on the lake.
On lakes with private and public (state) shoreline, you can get away without the permit by launching from private property.
I’ve always had the permit or reg just to eliminate any doubt or confusion.
The pushed for money so I left and went
to Dingmans on the Delaware
Permits/Registration in other states?
Does anyone know what is required to launch in other states? I’ve been trying to find info on other states that I may visit to see if the Registration is a better bet because some places have reciprocity.
The states I’m most likely to visit would be New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia. Anyone know? I did try to find it, but the requirements aren’t the easiest to find…
Not adding up
This story isn’t making sense. I’ve launched several powered craft with registrations and several non powered craft with launch permits into both lakes at Promised Land and never had an issue.
In PA to launch at a DCNR or Fish & Boat Commission facility you only need one or the other, not both.
If you have a non powered craft then stick with the launch permit, it is cheaper and easier.
NJ
In NJ you don’t have to have any kind of permits or stickers for non powered craft.
Anything with an electric or gas motor has to be registered in NJ or in a state that they have reciprocity with.
Most NJ State Parks charged either an entrance fee or launch fee for any craft during peak season.
Follow up
What ended up being the better option for you? I am new to the PA (Pittsburgh) area and have little understanding of the benefits or reasoning behind either option. If i register my yaks for 2 years will it allow the same access as the below options. i.e. PFBC Launch Permit (one year $10 or two years $18, December to December) or I can register my boat (two years $26 March to March). or is either option considered registration?
What are you reading re $26
That is for boats under 16ft i believe that are powered. It states to register unpowered boats $18 the same as launch permits on the documentation i read. I just dont know if they still charge extra fees if not the original boat owner without the bill of sale as they used to years ago.
You’re fine with PA launch permits
The only time you “could” (theoretically) have an issue is if you take you kayaks to another state that has a registration requirement. In that case, your PA registration would be counted as registration in the state you are visiting. Your launch permit technically would not count.
Joles, I just entered and left the
Delaware on the NJ side, and there was no issue of a launch permit. Was that because I used NPS launch sites? I had not heard that NJ had a launch fee for canoes.
registration
requires you put the sticker and those 3" tall registration numbers (you buy them at a boat store) on your hull. Fine a 40’ something but on a yak the numbers are huge.
Also the reg stays with the boat, do if/when you go to sell it the new owner has to keep the numbers and transfer the registration.
If you have just the launch permit then no paperwork is needed on a sale and the stickers are much smaller and no registration number.
No numbers required in PA
"Boats propelled by machinery and electric motors must be numbered, regardless of length and type of motor. Boats excluded from numbering include unpowered kayaks, sculls and sailboards, documented vessels, and vessels with a valid temporary certificate." Copied fromm the PA Fish and Boat Commission website.
I made that mistake years ago - took the numbers off as soon as I realized they weren’t needed.
All we use anymore are launch permits, much less hassle when selling a boat.
gnatcatcher