Fla. Stat. § 327.70 — Florida Code / Title XXIV / Chapter 327 / Section 327.70
327.70 Enforcement of this chapter and chapter 328.
Status: in_force

(1) This chapter and chapter 328 shall be enforced by the Division of Law Enforcement of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its officers, the sheriffs of the various counties and their deputies, municipal police officers, and any other law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10, all of whom may order the removal of vessels deemed to be an interference or a hazard to public safety, enforce the provisions of this chapter and chapter 328, or cause any inspections to be made of all vessels in accordance with this chapter and chapter 328.

(2)(a)1. The commission, in coordination with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, shall create a “Florida Freedom Boater” safety inspection decal for issue at the time of registration or renewal, signifying that the vessel is deemed to have met the safety equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter. Upon demonstrated compliance with the safety equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter at the time of registration or renewal, the operator of a vessel shall be issued a “Florida Freedom Boater” safety inspection decal. The commission may designate by rule the timeframe for expiration of, and the specific design for, the “Florida Freedom Boater” safety inspection decal. However, a decal may not be valid for less than 1 calendar year or more than 5 years at the time of issue and, at a minimum, must meet the standards specified in this paragraph. 2. The “Florida Freedom Boater” safety inspection decal must be located within 6 inches of the inspected vessel’s properly displayed vessel registration decal. For nonmotorized vessels that are not required to be registered, the “Florida Freedom Boater” safety inspection decal must be located above the waterline on the forward half of the port side of the vessel. (b) This subsection does not restrict a law enforcement officer from stopping a vessel for any other lawful purpose when the officer has probable cause to believe that a violation of this chapter has occurred or is occurring.

(3)(a) Noncriminal violations of the following statutes may be enforced by a uniform boating citation mailed to the registered owner of an unattended vessel anchored, aground, or moored on the waters of this state: 1. Section 327.33(3)(b), relating to navigation rules. 2. Section 327.44, relating to interference with navigation. 3. Section 327.50(2), relating to required lights and shapes. 4. Section 327.53, relating to marine sanitation. 5. Section 328.48(5), relating to display of decal. 6. Section 328.52(2), relating to display of number. 7. Section 327.4107, relating to vessels at risk of becoming derelict. 8. Section 327.4109, relating to prohibited anchoring or mooring. 9. Section 328.72(13), relating to expired registration. 10. Section 327.4111, relating to long-term anchoring. (b) Citations issued to livery vessels under this subsection are the responsibility of the lessee of the vessel if the livery has included a warning of this responsibility as a part of the rental agreement and has provided to the agency issuing the citation the name, address, and date of birth of the lessee when requested by that agency. The livery is not responsible for the payment of citations if the livery provides the required warning and lessee information. (c) A noncriminal violation of s. 327.4108 may be enforced by a uniform boating citation issued to the operator of a vessel unlawfully anchored in an anchoring limitation area. (d) A noncriminal violation of s. 327.4109 may be enforced by a uniform boating citation issued to the owner or operator of a vessel or floating structure unlawfully anchored or moored in a prohibited area. (e) A noncriminal violation of s. 327.4111 may be enforced by a uniform boating citation issued to the owner or operator of a vessel engaged in unlawful long-term anchoring.

(4) Such officers shall have the power and duty to issue such orders and to make such investigations, reports, and arrests in connection with any violation of the provisions of this chapter and chapter 328 as are necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this chapter and chapter 328.

(5) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or any other law enforcement agency may make any investigation necessary to secure information required to carry out and enforce the provisions of this chapter and chapter 328.

History: s. 1, ch. 65-361; ss. 25, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 72-16; s. 10, ch. 74-327; s. 3, ch. 78-181; ss. 10, 12, ch. 84-188; s. 30, ch. 99-245; s. 17, ch. 2009-86; s. 2, ch. 2016-96; s. 2, ch. 2016-108; s. 2, ch. 2016-134; s. 10, ch. 2017-163; s. 1, ch. 2018-27; s. 3, ch. 2025-35; s. 4, ch. 2025-147.