Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 1 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
1
An act relating to local administration of vessel 2
restrictions; amending ss. 327.4107 and 327.4111, 3
F.S.; authorizing counties and municipalities to adopt 4
ordinances authorizing code enforcement officers to 5
administer the enforcement of certain provisions 6
relating to vessels at risk of becoming derelict and 7
long-term anchoring permit requirements, respectively; 8
providing that such ordinances may not take effect 9
until reviewed and approved by the Fish and Wildlife 10
Conservation Commission; requiring the commission to 11
adopt rules; amending s. 327.4108, F.S.; revising an 12
exemption from anchoring limitation area requirements 13
for certain vessels; amending s. 327.46, F.S.; 14
authorizing municipalities and counties to adopt 15
ordinances to extend boating-restricted areas under 16
certain conditions; requiring the boundaries of such 17
areas to be clearly marked with specified markers; 18
amending ss. 327.73 and 327.74, F.S.; conforming 19
provisions to changes made by the act; providing an 20
effective date. 21
22
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23
24
Section 1. Subsections (5) and (6) of section 327.4107, 25
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 2 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (6) and (7), 26
respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to that section 27
to read: 28
327.4107 Vessels at risk of becoming derelict on waters of 29
this state.— 30
(5)(a) A county or municipality may authorize by ordinance 31
a code enforcement officer as defined in s. 162.21(1) to 32
administer this section relating to the identification, notice, 33
corrective action, relocation, removal, storage, destruction, or 34
disposal of public nuisance vessels and vessels at risk of 35
becoming derelict. However, such ordinance may not take effect 36
until it has been reviewed and approved by the commission. The 37
commission shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. 38
(b) Code enforcement officers authorized under this 39
subsection may issue a noncriminal infraction, punishable as 40
provided in s. 327.73, pursuant to the uniform boating citation 41
system under s. 327.74 for violations as specified in subsection 42
(2). Such citations are exempt from the requirements of s. 43
162.21(3)(c) and (d). 44
Section 2. Subsections (5) through (9) of section 45
327.4111, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (6) 46
through (10), respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to 47
that section to read: 48
327.4111 Long-term anchoring.— 49
(5)(a) A county or municipality may authorize by ordinance 50
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 3 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
a code enforcement officer as defined in s. 162.21(1) to 51
administer this section relating to the enforcement of long-term 52
anchoring permit requirements within its jurisdiction. However, 53
such ordinance may not take effect until it has been reviewed 54
and approved by the commission. The commission shall adopt rules 55
to implement this subsection. 56
(b) Code enforcement officers authorized under this 57
subsection may issue a noncriminal infraction, punishable as 58
provided in s. 327.73, pursuant to the uniform boating citation 59
system under s. 327.74 for violations specified in subsection 60
(4). Such citations are exempt from the requirements of s. 61
162.21(3)(c) and (d). 62
Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 63
327.4108, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 64
327.4108 Anchoring of vessels in anchoring limitation 65
areas.— 66
(3) 67
(d) A vessel upon the waters of this state and within 68
Monroe County for which the owner or occupant has established 69
the vessel as a domicile in accordance with s. 222.17 is exempt 70
from paragraph (a) until at least 60 100 new moorings are 71
available for public use within 1 mile of the Key West Bight 72
City Dock. Until such time, the commission shall designate the 73
area within 1 mile of the Key West Bight City Dock as a priority 74
for the investigation and removal of derelict vessels. 75
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 4 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 4. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 76
327.46, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 77
327.46 Boating-restricted areas.— 78
(1) Boating-restricted areas, including, but not limited 79
to, restrictions of vessel speeds and vessel traffic, may be 80
established on the waters of this state for any purpose 81
necessary to protect the safety of the public if such 82
restrictions are necessary based on boating accidents, 83
visibility, hazardous currents or water levels, vessel traffic 84
congestion, or other navigational hazards or to protect 85
seagrasses on privately owned submerged lands. 86
(c) Municipalities and counties may adopt have the 87
authority to establish by ordinance the following ordinances for 88
other boating-restricted areas: 89
1. An ordinance regulating vessel speed and operation 90
within 300 feet of a confluence of water bodies presenting a 91
blind corner, up to a distance of 1,000 feet if such extended 92
area is necessary to ensure safe navigation and visibility for 93
approaching vessels. The boundaries of such areas must be 94
clearly marked by uniform waterway regulatory markers consistent 95
with commission rules. 96
2.1. An ordinance establishing an idle speed, no wake 97
boating-restricted area, if the area is within 300 feet of a 98
confluence of water bodies presenting a blind corner, a bend in 99
a narrow channel or fairway, or such other area if an 100
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 5 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
intervening obstruction to visibility may obscure other vessels 101
or other users of the waterway. 102
3.2. An ordinance establishing a slow speed, minimum wake, 103
or numerical speed limit boating-restricted area if the area is: 104
a. Within 300 feet of a confluence of water bodies 105
presenting a blind corner, a bend in a narrow channel or 106
fairway, or such other area if an intervening obstruction to 107
visibility may obscure other vessels or other users of the 108
waterway. 109
b. Subject to unsafe levels of vessel traffic congestion. 110
c. Subject to hazardous water levels or currents, or 111
containing other navigational hazards. 112
d. An area that accident reports, uniform boating 113
citations, vessel traffic studies, or other creditable data 114
demonstrate to present a significant risk of collision or a 115
significant threat to boating safety. 116
4.3. An ordinance establishing a vessel-exclusion zone if 117
the area is reserved exclusively: 118
a. As a canoe trail or otherwise limited to vessels under 119
oars or under sail. 120
b. For a particular activity and user group separation 121
must be imposed to protect the safety of those participating in 122
such activity. 123
124
Any of the ordinances adopted pursuant to this paragraph may 125
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 6 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
shall not take effect until the commission has reviewed the 126
ordinance and determined by substantial competent evidence that 127
the ordinance is necessary to protect public safety pursuant to 128
this paragraph. Any application for approval of an ordinance 129
shall be reviewed and acted upon within 90 days after receipt of 130
a completed application. Within 30 days after a municipality or 131
county submits an application for approval to the commission, 132
the commission shall advise the municipality or county as to 133
what information, if any, is needed to deem the application 134
complete. An application shall be considered complete upon 135
receipt of all requested information and correction of any error 136
or omission for which the applicant was timely notified or when 137
the time for such notification has expired. The commission's 138
action on the application shall be subject to review under 139
chapter 120. The commission shall initiate rulemaking no later 140
than January 1, 2010, to provide criteria and procedures for 141
reviewing applications and procedures for providing for public 142
notice and participation pursuant to this paragraph. 143
Section 5. Paragraph (aa) of subsection (1) of section 144
327.73, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 145
327.73 Noncriminal infractions.— 146
(1) Violations of the following provisions of the vessel 147
laws of this state are noncriminal infractions: 148
(aa) Section 327.4107, relating to vessels at risk of 149
becoming derelict on waters of this state, for which the civil 150
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 7 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
penalty is: 151
1. For a first offense, $100. 152
2. For a second offense occurring 30 days or more after a 153
first offense, $250. 154
3. For a third or subsequent offense occurring 30 days or 155
more after a previous offense, $500. 156
157
A vessel that is the subject of three or more violations of s. 158
327.4107(2) which occur within a 24-month period and which 159
result in dispositions other than acquittal or dismissal must be 160
declared a public nuisance and subject to ss. 705.103(2) and (4) 161
and 823.11(3). For purposes of this paragraph, failure to appear 162
at a hearing or failure to pay the civil penalty constitutes a 163
disposition other than acquittal or dismissal unless such 164
failure to appear or such nonpayment is excused or set aside by 165
the court for good cause shown. The commission, an officer of 166
the commission, or a law enforcement agency or officer specified 167
in s. 327.70, or a code enforcement officer authorized under s. 168
327.4107(5) or s. 327.4111(5) may relocate, remove, or cause to 169
be relocated or removed such public nuisance vessels from waters 170
of this state. The commission, an officer of the commission, or 171
a law enforcement agency or officer acting pursuant to this 172
paragraph upon waters of this state shall be held harmless for 173
all damages to the vessel resulting from such relocation or 174
removal unless the damage results from gross negligence or 175
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 8 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
willful misconduct as these terms are defined in s. 823.11. 176
177
A person cited for a violation of this subsection is deemed to 178
be charged with a noncriminal infraction, must be cited for such 179
an infraction, and must be cited to appear before the county 180
court. The civil penalty for any such infraction is $100, except 181
as otherwise provided in this section. A person who fails to 182
appear or otherwise properly respond to a uniform boating 183
citation, in addition to the charge relating to the violation of 184
the boating laws of this state, must be charged with the offense 185
of failing to respond to such citation and, upon conviction, be 186
guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as 187
provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A written warning to this 188
effect must be provided at the time such uniform boating 189
citation is issued. 190
Section 6. Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of section 191
327.74, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 192
327.74 Uniform boating citations.— 193
(1) The commission shall prepare, and supply to every law 194
enforcement agency and code enforcement officer authorized under 195
s. 327.4107(5) or s. 327.4111(5) in this state that enforce 196
which enforces the laws of this state regulating the operation 197
of vessels, an appropriate form boating citation containing a 198
notice to appear, (which must shall be issued in prenumbered 199
books with citations in quintuplicate) and meet meeting the 200
ENROLLED
CS/CS/HB 1103 2026 Legislature
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1103 -02-er
Page 9 of 9
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
requirements of this chapter or any laws of this state 201
regulating boating. The, which form must shall be consistent 202
with the state's county court rules and the procedures 203
established by the commission. 204
(3) Every law enforcement officer and code enforcement 205
officer authorized under s. 327.4107(5) or s. 327.4111(5), upon 206
issuing a boating citation to an alleged violator of any 207
provision of the boating laws of this state or any boating 208
ordinance of any municipality, shall deposit the original and 209
one copy of such boating citation with a court having 210
jurisdiction over the alleged offense or with its traffic 211
violations bureau within 5 days after issuance to the violator. 212
(4) The chief administrative officer of every law 213
enforcement agency and code enforcement office authorized under 214
s. 327.4107(5) or s. 327.4111(5) shall require that the return 215
to him or her of the commission record copy of every boating 216
citation issued by an officer under his or her supervision to an 217
alleged violator of any boating law or ordinance be returned to 218
him or her, as well as and all copies of every boating citation 219
that which has been spoiled or upon which any entry has been 220
made and not issued to an alleged violator. 221
Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 222