Ok, I finally went legal today and forked over $18 for a use permit. I thought only one sticker was required and was to be put on the rear area of the boat, but I got two stickers. Do you need two stickers per boat? and where do they go?
You should of got…
a Pa Fish & Boat regulation book with the stickers,that explains where they go. If not, BOTH stickers go midships{middle of the boat} just below gunnels{canoe} just rear of cockpit on deck {kayak}. Two stickers go on the boat.
Happy Paddling billinpa
No booklet
I got my permit at one of those messenger services that do vehicle registrations and so forth. They didnt know where it went or how many I needed. I thought it was just one on the right side but they gave me two just in case.
EDIT: I went to PA Fish and Boat site. I should've done that to begin with, sometimes I forget everything is someplace on the internet now.
"Place the decal amidships (center portion of the boat) on both sides of your boat just below the gunwale (upper edge of the side of the boat)."
Thanks.
PS: Im glad to be legal in one boat. I dont really want to spend the money on our four other boats though. PA has some nice water but they charge alot for it.:(.
PA Fish & Boat vs DCNR
PAF&B uses a sticker on both sides just aft of midships. If either one of the notoriously non sticky decals falls off you have to pay your money again for a new set.
DCNR uses one sticker printed on a higher quality decal that usually stay put, but on the off chance it falls off they will issue a new one if you bring in your receipt.
As well PAF&B allows vendors to upcharge for their stickers. $8.00 of the $18.00 you spent went to the issuing agent.
DCNR permits are available from any state park office. If your even close to park its worth the drive distance to keep money out of the pockets of the PAF&B.
I vote with my dollar and strongly encourage folks to give their money to the State Park folks rather than the Crick Dicks.
P.S. I work for an issuing agent....but we only do it as a customer courtesy. If possible we ask people to drive to the State Parks instead.
decals falling off
I haven’t have a problem on composite boats. On our plastic boats, I usually mask off the area where I’m going to put the decal and put a light coat of 3M spray adhesive down first. That will do the trick. The times I haven’t done that I’ve had trouble getting the decal to adhere.
I dont want to start a whole big thing
but my way of thinking is that NO ONE deserves my money for using a human powered craft. They dont tax bicyclist for cycling in the parks, they dont charge skateboarders or rollerbladers for using park trails or roads, they wouldnt charge me if I kicked across the lake on a buggie board. Whats so special about a human powered boat that I should have to pay someone so I can use it?
I dont care who gets my money as long as they choke on it. Ok, thats outta the way, thanks for the info.
Pay To Play…Or Not
You can paddle your whole life in PA without paying a dime as long as you stay off of DCNR lakes and PAF&B ramps.
Only 2 of my 12 personal boats have permits and only 10 of 130 of the company fleet are stickered.
Many of the best access areas are community use areas or State Game Lands that require no permits and are generaly not patroled/hassled with.
Another big plus for NC
We have great public put-ins all over the place and they are all free.
The lake that I paddled in two days ago has four of them and they also have well maintained clean rest rooms.
There are many that even have little beaches beside the ramps where you can put a canoe or kayak in with out holding up the power boaters.
Cheers,
JackL
Making The Switch Soon
Jack…my wife and I are actively working towards moving to NC. We still are waiting on Tana getting a good job, but as soon as that happens she will move two weeks later and I will head down after the season ends in September.
From our early recons NC appears to be a great place to live and we look forward to getting to know the state better.
my philosophy
My philosophy is pretty simple. The regulations aren’t likely to change, so I just buy the stickers and don’t waste my time worrying about it.
At least the park is free
Although I totally agree that paying to float on the water in a state park is a crock, at least there is no charge to enter the park. I’ve been in other states where they charge admission just to enter the park.
Yeah & we…
piss away 1-2 bottles of wine each weekend,and that costs more then a years worth of stickers for 3 boats. Am I going to stop drinking wine,not likely. If it helps put toilet paper in the wash houses of campgrounds ,so be it. Pa taxes really aren’t that bad,if you “really hear” what others pay in property taxes,school taxes,sales tax,auto registrations,hotel taxes,gas taxes,traffic fines etc. They all get their revenue from some tax. I have to admit NC & SC seem to be the lower tax states,but they are growing rapidly. When they reach our level of infastructure theirs will rise too.
Happy permitted Paddling billinpa
I mentioned to Topher…
…in an earlier thread that South Carolina’s real estate taxes are much lower than North Carolinas (I haven’t researched this but was told by several NC residents)…if you live in northern SC (i.e.: Little River) you can still paddle in NC every day. BUT…Both Carolinas ANNUALLY tax your vehicles & possessions (yes, that includes campers and (gulp)BOATS!)
Still can’t beat DE for the overall deal: super-low real estate taxes, NO sales tax, cheap auto insurance & registrations, no inspection fees,& perhaps best of all, cheap beer/wine/liquor.
You do have to pay to enter their SP’s, but a season pass is only $27/yr (up from $20 last yr).
So that’s where …
all our taxes go,to help keep DE. on the map.LOL They have to tax something, “fess up” because they can’t run a state on nothing! I do know a lot of towns in DE. could use a LOT of updating,but most of their roads put Pa. to shame,how do they do it? Their pay scale is lower then Pa. I applied for a Good Job in De. ,and got it,but when I heard what they wanted to pay,well I am still laughing about that one.
Happy Paddling billinpa
amen to that, Bill…
way lower pay & not many good jobs in slower DE. I don’t know how they can keep the taxes so low either; locals say if not for DuPont they would be much higher.
It’s a flatwater paddler’s paradise here.
I think we better de-hijack this thread…you can paddle in PA without registration, just by being selective. Most of the places you would need the registration for will also have powerboat traffic.
Its not just PA state parks
You also need a permit or registration for all PA waters that are administered by the PA Fish and Boat Commission. State parks are actually a small percentage of those waters. The particular lake that we frequent in Adams county is in a state forest, not a state park. People are FREE to cycle the trails or ride horses for FREE. In all fairness, ATVs, snowmobiles and PWC do have to have pay to play on public lands but I think that a human powered boat has more in common with a bicycle than an ATV or PWC and should taxed and permitted as all other human powered transport.
______ is to PWC as bicycle is to ATV.
I guess I just dont understand PA ways. My home state is WV, which requires no registration or permits for the use of human powered boat. A human powered boat is treated the same as a human powered cycle, as it should be.
The reason that…
there are no permits for bikes & horses,is because they are still considered non polluting sources of transportation in Pa. The large population of amish,and high mennonite,still use bikes & horses for transportation. They carry considerable clout in govnernment in Pa.{tourist dollars}Example:{amish buggies still pay no use taxes,or are licensed,or inspected,but still use the roads}. A non powered boat is concidered recreational. PWC & trail motorcycles are being cut off in ever increasing areas because of soil & water eroison. I guess the state figures trail motorcycles pay taxes through gasoline. The southeast section of Pa. still seems to carry the making of laws made for the rest of the state,unfair as it may seem.
Happy Paddling billinpa
hey bill…
…and you know that is a sore subject among PA taxpayers (the Amish not paying road taxes) because their tireless wheels chew up the roads bigtime & their horses “let it fly” at will…pet owners get fined for not cleaning up their tiny poops but they’re miniscule compared to horse droppings.
Thread Hijacked again, sorry.
I’m confused!
I paddle quite a bit in PA and never got a sticker for anything. Didn’t know about it until I read this thread.
I paddle in State Game Lands, Lehigh River (Francis Walter dam area) and a few other places on a regular basis. As a non resident, what do I need to know? What about Raystown?
Andy
Read The Signs
As mentioned before if the landing or imoundment is not uder the jurisdiction of DCNR or PA Fish and Boat, you are free to use the landing without any permits. There will always be signage if permits are required.
Where we launch at Raystown is under the jurisdiction of the Army Corp of Engineers and requires no permits.