I would think…
that registering a kayak (if required by state law) is analogous to registering your car. You need to have your car registered in the state that you live - but you don’t register it in every state you drive through.
Wisconsin does not require self-propelled watercraft to be registered. Iowa (my home state and no one’s sea kayaking destination of choice) requires registration and three inch high letters on the side of kayak - if the kayak is over 12 feet (I think it’s 12 feet). Anyway, we had the big honkin’ letters on our old eddylines…got new cetus boats last year and I am NOT putting them on it…my story if stopped in Iowa is that it’s not my boat, I borrowed it from a friend in Wisconsin.
Include LA and MS also
– Last Updated: Feb-13-14 4:10 PM EST –
You can include Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in the list of states that don't require registrations.
In Iowa
it’s any kayak 13 feet or longer. I was stopped by a DNR officer who actually got a tape out and measured my Necky Manitou. It was as advertised - 12.5 feet. Just like I told him.
Been there, and I didn’t worry
I’ve been around the Ely area and launched in several places. Some had notices asking me to fill out a piece of paper, so I did. When I don’t see any notices, I launch and think about mermaids and sparkling waters, not legal mumbo jumbo.
I just drive around North America and when I see some place I want to paddle, I do. I park my van where convenient and go to sleep. I don’t worry or even think about what’s tomorrow. That would be too stressful and boring and organized a thing for me. No plans, no schedules, no reservations. I figure things out when I get there, wherever it is.
That’s just me. Others can worry and plan and reserve and register and fill out papers if they like.
Illinois wants money from everyone
even if your boat is registered in another state. You are supposed to get one of their stickers. So far I’ve been over there half dozen times and haven’t been checked. They also want your SSN for the account which I really don’t like.
SYOTW
Randy
And then there’s trespassing laws
– Last Updated: Feb-13-14 11:48 PM EST –
By your logic, if no sign is posted against being on land whose access status is unknown to you, you can legally go there. "Ignorance is bliss" sums it up.
Not so fast!
Some states put the onus on you, the wannabe accesser, to know what is private and what is not. The landowner does NOT have to post No Trespassing signs at all. You could be (a) shot at, (b) fined, and possibly worse, if you try to breeze by on Ignorance Is Bliss.
Haha, you worry, I’ll paddle
Trespassing? Never happened unless deliberate.
If a public road abuts a navigable body of water, that’s a public access. There are such places on most rivers, lakes and other bodies of water in the US.
I have gone across private land with permission. I’ve also deliberately crossed publicly-owned land to paddle on publicly restricted reservoirs with outdoors groups who then litigated and won access rights in court.
But the OP isn’t talking about that. He’s talking about trying to research all sorts of state laws and regulations before doing the bloody simple act of putting a kayak on his roof and driving.
I suppose he could study Google Earth for every every parcel of land around every potential water body for paddling and then request the deeds to all the surrounding property to see who owns it, and then send a form in triplicate to secure advance permission from the landowners. This is all so silly.
Shot at? Fined? “Possibly worse”? Good gracious. I don’t paddle in Iraq. I guess I should sign all sorts of legal contracts and waivers before I dare go paddling on that nice lagoon I saw in Sopchoppy. And I think I’ll worry about it for the next two months.
Add another to the list
Washington State has no registration for paddle craft. In Oregon you have to buy a permit that has something to do with noxious species, or something. If you’re from Washington, or Idaho you don’t need the permit as long as you are no further than a mile off the Columbia River into Oregon waters. You must have the permit if you launch from the Oregon side. I assume the same rules apply to other boundary waters like the Snake.
Me too
I had an IA DNR officer check the length of my Old Town Pack one time. He just had to make sure I was’t screwing the state out of their $13 fee.
I’m not worrying
Just pointing out that Ignorance Is Bliss doesn’t always get you off the hook.
You keep repeating that you WERE a lawyer. I doubt it was property rights lawyering in all 50 states.
GENERALLY SPEAKING…
if you follow your own state’s rules, the other states give you ‘professional courtesy’ which means that even though Calif requires paddlecraft to be registered, Arizona does not.
So when i take my boats to California, and IF I am stopped and questioned by a Calif trooper, I show them my Az DL and inform them that Az does not register paddlecraft and they say “ok, have fun” and leave.
BUT, if I have a Calif DL, and am paddling an unregistered kayak in Cal;if, then I am in trouble.
Good. But there’s no hook.
I have failed to communicate properly.
First, I don’t think I’ve ever said before on this forum that I’m a lawyer, but many people know.
Second, I still am a lawyer, just not actively practicing. I had been licensed in four states: CT, NY, CA and FL. Four bar exams. Never again.
Finally, I’m not ignorant about these subjects and I’m not advising ignorance as defense or as a way to go about life. I believe in being informed, but not until it’s necessary.
What I do about these very minor paddling and camping regulatory things is to figure them out when I get where I’m going. Most places I go, I know what the story is from past experience.
But on the specific topic, I don’t care what the registration rules are for canoes in states other than my own. If someone told me to register my canoes, I would refuse. I will never register a canoe or kayak. They can go pound salt and I’ll paddle where I darn please. If some official cites me, that worries me about as much as jaywalking.
Finally, I can’t think of more than three or four occasions that I’ve even run into state officials when paddling. They aren’t usually where I am.
For some reason, I thought you were in Colorado.
California doesn’t require…
registration of paddlecraft. I live in SoCal and have kayaked all over the state. AZ used to require registration of kayaks and canoes, but gave up after deeming that law unenforceable several years ago.
Ohio requires registration
Hope it’s not a problem that I’m reviving an old thread. Ohio requires registration of ALL boats, even a simple inflatable and all boats (including inflatable) must display registration numbers. You can get around the display of numbers by purchasing a special registration sticker (that costs a bit more). The special sticker has a provision, however, once you register that boat with the “numberless” sticker, you can never (over the life of the boat!) power it by any kind of motor (not even an electric). It’s strictly hand power only.
Rules are enforced too. While anchored just a few feet offshore and chatting with my wife (who was fishing), I was approached by the ranger who asked if my boat (a 13 foot Coleman inflatable at the time) was registered. I pleaded ignorance due to it being an inflatable (I knew it needed it, but hadn’t since I rarely use that boat at home…it’s mainly my travel boat for when I’m camping out of state). He was nice about it, but warned me to get it registered before putting in next time or else I would be facing a $150 fine.
Ohio does recognize registrations from other states, as long as you are in Ohio for 30 days or less (I believe that’s the time length). Longer than that, it has to be registered.
Craig
that’s sad, register a blow-up boat?
money hungry government
You will be fine in the red states
in the blue states you will probably have to get a paddling license, and register your boat.
NY state …
…as best I know as of April, 2014 …NYS does not require any kayak registrations, but it has been talked about in legislature. There are some smaller lakes and pond areas in the state they have a “invasive species” program in place, that requires cleaning and inspection of all boats. Cazenovia Lake is such a lake.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/48221.html
side note: state parks charge a fee to enter park. boat launch is free once inside park.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7832.html
List
This older poster did some research on the topic.
http://www.clubkayak.com/greenwave/default.asp?message=8040
Interesting that it seems about the same number of “red” and “blue” states have requirements on unpowered boats. Looks like there are slightly more red states with requirements.
I notice that “bkmturner” must have
gone on the road already, leaving us in doubt about whether bkmturner lives in any particular state. Might be some sort of illegal immigrant.
I used to be against profiles, but if one wants to get useful information on a forum, sometimes one must be willing to share at least a slight indication of from where one is coming.
People need to think like deer or fish
or doves, and just go innocently where they want to. If challenged by a landowner, react like a “dumb animal”. Stare innocently for a few instants, and then go quietly on your way.
Rangers and landowners are like grizzlys, looking to make an encounter into a territorial challenge and then into as much conflict as possible. We don’t need to buy into that.