“Florida is the boating and fishing capital of the world — and the Boater Freedom Act will ensure that this remains the case,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a May 19 news release.

The EPA created a 12-mile, 9,500-acre aquatic preserve and designated it a no-discharge zone from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce.

On the first of July, nearly 100 new Florida laws are now in effect. One of the laws is one that makes many boaters happy - it limits the FWC's ability to stop and search their vessel.

The legislation signed May 19 by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Boater Freedom Act and announced in February as the Boater Freedom Initiative was drafted as a “proposal that protects Floridians ...

Gov. Ron DeSantis says long-standing vessel searches have "unnecessarily created friction" between boaters and law enforcement. The governor signed the bill, which he has dubbed the Boater Freedom ...

In a press conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the changes in the “Boater Freedom Act” are aimed at easing tension between boaters and law enforcement officers.

Starting July 1, 2025, law enforcement will no longer be able to pull a boat over without probable cause or a suspected violation. Before, officers were allowed to conduct inspections, like ...

Florida’s Boater Freedom Act could harm fisheries, impede conservation, critics say By Jack Prator | The Tampa Bay Times July 10, 2025 at 10:44 AM EDT ...

(The Center Square) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed nine bills from this session with only a few measures remaining for a decision, along with $590 million in line items from the state ...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Friday, June 27, 2025, a boater safety law named for Luciana Fernandez, a 17-year-old Miami-Dade County girl who was killed in a Sept. 4, 2022, vessel ...

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that enhances penalties for boating under the influence. DeSantis signed HB 289, also known as Lucy's Law, on Friday night, June 27.