With spring underway and summer approaching, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding residents and visitors to prioritize safety while enjoying the state’s waterways.
The agency is urging individuals renting vessels—including motorized boats, personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards—to do so only through permitted liveries.
FWC officials say new livery regulations and updated boating safety education requirements implemented in 2024 are designed to improve public safety, increase accountability among rental providers, and promote safer vessel operation.
Under the updated rules, liveries must provide renters with pre-rental and pre-ride instruction. This includes information on local waterway conditions, proper use of an engine cutoff switch, and on-the-water demonstrations of safe vessel operation.
“Renting from an unpermitted livery or skipping proper instruction can put you, your passengers, and others on the water in danger,” said Tommy VanTrees. He added that permitted liveries follow strict safety standards and that proper instruction can help prevent accidents and save lives.
FWC is encouraging all waterway users to make safety a priority by choosing permitted rental providers and following boating safety guidelines.
Under Florida Statute § 327.54, renting vessels without a required permit is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
SOURCE: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
