SB282 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jay HoveySenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Boats, motorboats, operation on Lewis Smith Lake, Lake Wedowee, and portion of Shoal Creek, wakeboarding and wakesurfing reg., operation near coastline prohibited, Lake Martin add to lake law applies; operation on lakes near shoreline prohibited, penalties, grace period.

Summary

SB282 adds Lake Martin to wakeboarding and wakesurfing rules, imposes a 100-foot no-wake zone and related limits, and sets penalties with an effective date of October 1, 2024.

What This Bill Does

The bill expands existing wakeboarding and wakesurfing restrictions to Lake Martin and requires motorboats to stay at or below idle speed within 100 feet of any shore or structure on these waters. It defines key terms, sets specific conditions under which wakeboarding/wakesurfing is not allowed (sunset to sunrise, narrow water segments, within 200 feet of shore/structures, and not wearing a USCG-approved PFD), and outlines penalties for violations. It also provides exemptions for approved regattas or events, requires state agencies to notify the public, and includes grace-period warnings for early violations; the act becomes effective October 1, 2024.

Who It Affects

• Boaters, wakeboarders, and wakesurfers on Lake Martin, Lewis Smith Lake, Lake Wedowee, and Shoal Creek who must follow the new and existing wake and speed restrictions and could face fines or certification penalties for violations.
• Law enforcement and state agencies (e.g., Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Marine Police Patrol Division, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) responsible for enforcement, issuing citations, notifying the public, and handling potential certification suspensions or revocations.

Key Provisions

• Adds Lake Martin to the waters where wakeboarding and wakesurfing rules apply (along with Lewis Smith Lake, Lake Wedowee, and Shoal Creek).
• Prohibits operating a motorboat above idle speed within 100 feet of any shoreline, dock, pier, boathouse, or other structure on the affected waters, including Lake Martin.
• Defines terms: Motorboat as a motorized recreational vessel; Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing with specific meanings; sets prohibitions on wakeboarding/wakesurfing under conditions such as sunset to sunrise, water portions narrower than 400 feet, within 200 feet of shore/structures, and not wearing a USCG-approved PFD.
• Penalties: first violation fines not less than $100; second or subsequent violations in the same calendar year fines not less than $200, plus possible revocation or suspension of boater safety or vessel operator certifications for the calendar year; prosecutions by citation.
• Exemptions for sanctioned events (regattas, races, etc.) with written approval from the Marine Police Patrol Division.
• Public notification requirements by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
• Grace-period provisions: for one year after Sept 1, 2023, first violations of wakeboarding/wakesurfing subsection receive warnings and subsequent violations are treated as first violations; for one year after Oct 1, 2024, first violations of idle-speed subsection receive warnings and subsequent violations are treated as first violations.
• Section 111.05 considerations: the bill is designed to be exempt from local funding expenditure requirements because it creates a new crime or amends an existing crime; effective date is October 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Waters & Boating