Florida Senate - 2025 SB 866 By Senator Martin 33-01108-25 2025866__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to anchoring limitation areas; 3 amending s. 327.60, F.S.; restricting local regulation 4 of vessels outside the marked boundaries of mooring 5 fields in certain counties and areas of critical state 6 concern; revising exceptions; amending s. 327.4108, 7 F.S.; designating specified sections of Biscayne Bay 8 in Miami-Dade County as grandfathered-in anchoring 9 limitation areas; amending s. 327.4109, F.S.; 10 increasing the prohibited anchoring and mooring 11 distance of vessels and floating structures near 12 public mooring fields; providing an effective date. 13 14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15 16 Section 1.Paragraph (f) of subsection (2) of section 17 327.60, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 18 327.60Local regulations; limitations. 19 (2)This chapter and chapter 328 do not prevent the 20 adoption of any ordinance or local regulation relating to 21 operation of vessels, except that a county or municipality may 22 not enact, continue in effect, or enforce any ordinance or local 23 regulation: 24 (f)Regulating the anchoring of vessels outside the marked 25 boundaries of mooring fields permitted as provided in s. 327.40 26 in counties with populations of 1.5 million or greater or in 27 areas of critical state concern, except for: 28 1.Live-aboard vessels; and 29 2.Commercial vessels, excluding commercial fishing 30 vessels; and 31 3.Any vessel that remains anchored overnight for a period 32 of at least 4 hours any time between one-half hour after sunset 33 and one-half hour before sunrise within the jurisdiction of a 34 county for more than 30 days in a 6-month period, excluding any 35 time the vessel is anchored overnight within the boundaries of a 36 marked mooring field or any time the vessel is anchored 37 overnight for the purpose of completing permitted marine 38 construction, installation, or maintenance work; 39 Section 2.Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 40 327.4108, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 41 327.4108Anchoring of vessels in anchoring limitation 42 areas. 43 (1)The following densely populated urban areas, which have 44 narrow state waterways, residential docking facilities, and 45 significant recreational boating traffic, are designated as and 46 shall be considered to be grandfathered-in anchoring limitation 47 areas, within which a person may not anchor a vessel at any time 48 during the period between one-half hour after sunset and one 49 half hour before sunrise, except as provided in subsections (4) 50 and (5): 51 (c)The sections of Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County lying 52 between: 53 1.Palm Island and State Road A1A. 54 2.Palm Island and Star Island. 55 3.Palm Island and Hibiscus Island. 56 4.Palm Island and Watson Island. 57 5.2.Rivo Alto Island and Di Lido Island. 58 6.3.San Marino Island and Di Lido Island. 59 7.4.San Marino Island and San Marco Island. 60 8.5.San Marco Island and Biscayne Island. 61 Section 3.Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 62 327.4109, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 63 327.4109Anchoring or mooring prohibited; exceptions; 64 penalties. 65 (1)(a)The owner or operator of a vessel or floating 66 structure may not anchor or moor such that the nearest approach 67 of the anchored or moored vessel or floating structure is: 68 1.Within 150 feet of any public or private marina, boat 69 ramp, boatyard, or other public vessel launching or loading 70 facility; 71 2.Within 500 feet of a superyacht repair facility. For 72 purposes of this subparagraph, the term superyacht repair 73 facility means a facility that services or repairs a yacht with 74 a water line of 120 feet or more in length; or 75 3.Within 300 100 feet outward from the marked boundary of 76 a public mooring field or a lesser distance if approved by the 77 commission upon request of a local government within which the 78 mooring field is located. The commission may adopt rules to 79 implement this subparagraph. 80 Section 4.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.