RELATING TO BOATS AND WATERWAYS

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

This legislative matter, File Number 260878, proposed an ordinance to create Section 7-40.1 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, establishing overnight anchoring regulations for boats in Biscayne Bay and other county waters. The ordinance aimed to restrict vessels from anchoring for more than 30 days in any 6-month period between sunset and sunrise, with specific exemptions for governmental entities, construction/dredging vessels on active sites, and commercial fishing vessels. Enforcement was to be by civil penalty, with fines ranging from $500 for a first offense to $2,500 for subsequent offenses within five years. The ordinance also amended Section 8CC-10 of the Code to update the schedule of civil penalties. The matter was introduced on 5/14/2026, adopted on first reading by the Board of County Commissioners on 6/2/2026, and subsequently withdrawn by the Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee on 7/14/2026. The reason for withdrawal was a substitute ordinance, Legislative File No. 261278.