STATUTES/LEGISLATION OUTSIDE WISCONSIN
ENHANCED WAKE BOATING

  • VERMONT - Vermont enacted a statewide law specific to wake surfing, effective April 15, 2024. The law requires that wake surfing occur only in water at least 20’ deep and at least 500’ from shore. There are two additional requirements:

    • unless there is at least one area of 50 contiguous acres meeting the 500’/20’ requirements, no wake surfing may occur on that lake.

    • The law includes a “Home Lake Rule”, requiring that each wake surf boat name a “home lake”. The boat may wake surf on only that “home lake”. To move the boat to another lake, the ballast tanks must first be decontaminated

    • The Vermont DNR’s press release on the law is here

  • MAINE - Maine enacted a statewide law requiring that wake surfing may occur only in areas of lakes meeting both these requirements: 300’ from shore and 15’ minimum water depth. Law effective August 19, 2024.

    • The law allows lakes to petition to be wholly wake surf free. Many of the 30 Maine lakes where wake surfing is now permitted under the new law have petitioned the state DNR to be wholly wake surf free.

OTHER STATES

  • MINNESOTA—Nothing enacted, nothing pending. They have a law mandating boater education.

  • INDIANA— Indiana has had a bill pending that would largely limit wake surfing to lakes over 300 acres. No recent action.

  • CONNECTICUT-- No law specific to wake surfing. Wake surfing treated like water skiing for the purposes of state law. See brief July 10, 2023 report here.

  • NEW HAMPSHIRE—No active legislation in early 2024 an industry bill was active (200’ from shore), lake advocates introduced a 500’/20’ bill that did not obtain sufficient support. As of 1/2025 there are no active bills in New Hampshire.

  • NEW JERSEY—Water skiing and wake surfing treated alike. Must be minimum 200’ from shore and structures. See article here.

  • PENNSYLVANIA-- Boats engaged in the activity of wake surfing are limited to slow, no-wake speed when within 200 feet of the shoreline, docks, launch ramps, swimmers, downed skiers, or other boat-towed watersports participants, persons wading in the water, anchored, moored, or drifting boats, and other marked areas. See article here

PENDING WAKE SURFING LEGISLATION

  • MICHIGAN --Michigan House Bill 5532 (HB 5532) would regulate wake boats in Michigan by requiring them to stay at least 500 feet from shore and in water at least 20 feet deep. The bill was introduced in February 2024 by Representative Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo).

  • WISCONSIN - See site specific to Wisconsin legislation, here.

STATE LAWS REGARDING BOAT DECONTAMINATION

  • MONTANA - Montana laws on ballast tank decontamination Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Dept.

  • COLORADO -- Colorado has mandatory boat decontamination with special requirements for for wakeboats and other ballasted boats. See Colorado Parks and Wildlife site detailing the law, here.

  • OREGON-- State law forbids any wakesurfing on a 30 mile stretch of the Wilamette River (tributary of the Columbia). See article here.

STATES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THE BOAT MANUFACTURERS MODEL BILL

The industry has prepared and lobbied for states to adopt its “Model Bill for Wake Surfing”. Thus far, the model bill, or versions close to it, have been adopted by four states, all of them Southern states with few or no natural lakes. Tennessee has one natural lake. Alabama has one-half a natural lake (Lake Jackson, 500 acres-which is shared with Florida). Virtually all wake surfing in these four states is done on reservoirs—many of them huge Corps of Engineers impoundments or TVA reservoirs created since 1900. Such waters are typically far less environmentally sensitive than the glacial lakes common in the northern tier of states.

  • Tennessee -Effective July 1, 2022. July 20, 2022 press release  about Tennessee’s wake surfing law. This state law is based on the Water Sports Industry Association’s ‘model law.’ Forbids wake surfing within 200 feet of shore or docks and forbids wake surfing at night or on lakes under 50 acres. Also requires use of a life jacket. There is no restriction on depth of operation. Wake surfing can be done in 5’ of water under this law.

  • South Carolina – Law effective March 14, 2022. Another state law based on the Water Sports Industry Association’s ‘model law.’  Forbids wake surfing within 200 feet of shore or docks or anchored boats and forbids wake surfing at night or on lakes under 50 acres. Also requires use of a life jacket. News report about this law is here.

  • Alabama – Law went into effect Sept 21, 2023. It appears to follow the WSIA model law, prohibiting wake surfing on lakes under 50 acres and within 200 feet of shore, dock or any other structure. Also requires use of a life jacket. It does not apply to all lakes in Alabama, only certain named reservoirs. The text of the law is here.

  • Georgia – Enacted July 1, 2023. This law states that “no person shall engage in wakesurfing or wakeboarding upon waters of this state within 200 feet of any moored vessel; any wharf, dock, pier, piling, or bridge structure or abutment; or any shoreline adjacent to a full-time or part-time residence, public park, public beach, public swimming area, marina, restaurant, or other public use area. Note that the 200’ rule does not apply to all shoreline. The text of the law is here.