From Beer Can Island to Shell Key, the Tampa Bay area is a boater’s paradise, whether you own a vessel or rent one online.

Smart and Safe Florida asked a federal judge for complete relief against a state law regulating petition gathering.

Florida boating incidents increased, and deaths rose 37% between 2023 and 2024. Florida's Boater Freedom Act, now in effect, restricts law enforcement's ability to conduct random boat safety checks.

ORLANDO, Fla. — New laws are taking effect in Florida on July 1, 2025, including protections for hotel owners and operators, and more rights for boaters.

Attorneys for grassroots campaigners are again asking a judge to halt enforcement of parts of a new Florida law that restricts the state’s process to get citizens’ initiatives on the ballot.

On July 1, the Florida Freedom Boater law went into effect. The law directs the local tax collector to have boat owners complete a “Vessel Safety Equipment Attestation” form to get the Florida Freedom ...

New law on life jackets for children (SB 1388) The Florida Boating Safety Law: Life Jacket Mandate, known as the Boater Freedom Act, requires all children under the age of six to wear a US Coast Guard ...

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

Florida Boater Freedom Act threatens Indian River Lagoon Gov. Ron DeSantis has made it harder for law enforcement officers to enforce the state's vessel pump-out laws by prohibiting them from stopping ...

Boater Freedom Act: Bill revoking boat inspections powers through Legislature The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is most affected by the law, but it also inhibits the Coast ...