Gov. DeSantis announces Freedom Boater Initative

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced several marine incentives boaters may take advantage of ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 2025 Miami Beach International Boat Show.

During the ceremony held on Wednesday, the governor opened his remarks by stating that the marine/boating industry is an important economic factor for the state.

Ahead of spring break, DeSantis mentioned renewing efforts with law enforcement to deter criminal activity in South Florida, primarily in Miami Beach.

Following that, the governor announced that 2024 broke tourist records, with around 142.9 million visitors to the state.

DeSantis announced the Boater Freedom Initiative regarding marine activity, prohibiting the preemptive sale of boats based on fuel services. He noted that customers should be allowed to choose from electric or gasoline-powered vessels.

Another notable inclusion in this initiative prohibits the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission from pulling over private boats and boarding the vessels for safety inspection without probable cause.

Before the proposal, FWC could examine the contents of a boat without the boater’s permission.

To deter this, the initiative will create a “freedom boater” decal similar to a vehicle decal, alerting FWC that a boat has been properly inspected.

According to the governor, this will allocate resources away from unnecessary inspections and utilize FWC for more important environmental affairs.

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