Michigan Boating Laws
2023 Ten Most Common Marine Law Violations
2012
LANSING -- Boaters no longer
can tie up overnight at spots where public roads end on lakes and
other waterways under a measure signed into law Thursday 3-22-2012
by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley.
It's now a misdemeanor to place boat hoists or anchoring systems or
to install a dock or wharf at road ends. Similar penalties apply to
boaters who moor or dock at road ends between midnight and sunrise.
Only single-season docks authorized by local government officials
and approved by the state Department of Environmental Quality will
be allowed.
Another new measure takes away officers' ability to stop boaters and
make sure they have adequate floatation devices. The governor's
office said, "Stops without reasonable suspicion of violation are an
unnecessary hindrance for boaters."
Another new law changes the charge for fleeing and eluding officers
while in a boat or on a personal watercraft from a misdemeanor to a
felony. That makes the penalty level equal to what motorists face on
land.
