Part 2/10:
Under the new legislation signed into law by Governor Tina Cotex on June 24, 2025 (House Bill 2982), even the simplest forms of floating are now regulated. Anything that floats and isn’t a single inner tube requires a permit. This includes:
Kayaks
Stand-up paddleboards
Canoes
Tied-together inner tubes
Previously, watercraft under 10 feet were exempt from such regulation, but this exemption has now been revoked. The law aims to generate revenue for environmental initiatives, particularly invasive species prevention—an effort that is ostensibly designed to curb zebra and quagga mussel occurrences, although the connection raises eyebrows among critics.