RELATING TO BOATS AND WATERWAYS

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-06-02 · ordinance

Miami-Dade County is creating Section 7-40.1 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, to adopt overnight anchoring regulations for vessels in both incorporated and unincorporated areas. The ordinance prohibits vessels from anchoring for 1 hour or more between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise for more than 30 days in any 6-month period. Exemptions include governmental vessels on duty, construction or dredging vessels on active job sites, and commercial fishing vessels actively engaged in fishing. Enforcement will be by civil penalty under Chapter 8CC, with penalties ranging from $500 for a first offense to $2,500 for a third or subsequent offense within five years. The ordinance also amends Section 8CC-10 to update the schedule of civil penalties. Municipalities can adopt their own stricter regulations. The ordinance was adopted on first reading by the Board of County Commissioners on June 2, 2026, and was tentatively scheduled for a public hearing before the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on July 14, 2026. The effective date is ten days after enactment.