New invasive-species controls for SUP touring: checkpoints, fees, procedures, and compliance
Where regulations are tightening and why it matters for SUP touring
Across popular SUP destinations in North America and beyond, invasive-species rules have tightened in response to recent detections and risk modeling that point to faster spread via trailered and hand-launched craft. Agencies are expanding roadside and ramp-side inspections, specifying dry-time intervals, and clarifying that paddleboards are legally considered watercraft when transported. Western jurisdictions have increased fines for skipping open inspection stations and have widened stop requirements to include non-motorized craft. At high-value lakes with recent interceptions, programs now emphasize documented decontamination and proof-of-inspection receipts even for hand-launched gear. For touring paddlers, this means planning extra time on travel days, carrying documentation, and adopting clean, drain, dry habits as a routine part of trip logistics.
The drivers are concrete. Golden mussels were detected in California in late 2024, prompting stronger procedures at Lake Tahoe in 2025 and a renewed focus on intercepting high-risk boats before launch. Provinces such as British Columbia and Alberta hardened road-stop rules and raised penalties to improve compliance at border inspection corridors. States with infested waters, notably Utah due to Lake Powell, retained mandatory inspection and decontamination workflows while clarifying which craft owe annual fees. Oregon expanded its permit structure to cover more small paddlecraft beginning in 2026 to fund inspection and access programs. These changes are not theoretical; they alter what SUP travelers must present and where they must stop.
Western United States: Tahoe, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and local Colorado rules
At Lake Tahoe, hand-launched non-motorized craft such as SUPs can be inspected and decontaminated free of charge at regional inspection stations, and paddlers are urged to complete the Tahoe Keepers training and follow clean, drain, dry protocols. Inspectors stepped up procedures in 2025 after intercepting a large boat carrying golden mussels at an inspection site, underscoring basin-wide risk. While motorized boats face paid inspection fees and decontamination if needed, SUPs remain cost-free to inspect, and some launches may ask to see a recent decontamination receipt before entry to sensitive nearby lakes such as Fallen Leaf or Echo. Battery-assisted hand-launched craft like eSUPs are treated as electric vessels and must be inspected annually and display their specific sticker. Free solar-powered cleaning stations within the basin help non-motorized users meet expectations between launches. The unifying theme is documented cleanliness before launch and verifiable dry status after use elsewhere.
In Utah, boaters must stop at operating inspection stations, and dry-time requirements scale by season to seven, eighteen, or thirty days unless professionally decontaminated. The mandatory mussel-aware course and the annual AIS decal and fee apply to motorized vessels, with $20 for residents and $25 for nonresidents per watercraft; non-motorized users, including SUPs, are expected to self-certify clean, drain, dry and still stop at inspection stations when directed. In 2024 Utah technicians reported roughly 296,000 inspections and over 6,000 decontaminations, reflecting a large-scale prevention effort.
Montana requires all nonresident watercraft launching in the state to purchase the Vessel AIS Prevention Pass; the fee is $10 for nonmotorized craft such as SUPs and $30 for motorized craft, and proof of purchase may be electronic. Stopping at open watercraft inspection stations is mandatory, with additional checkpoints positioned at high-risk corridors like westbound Continental Divide crossings and the Flathead Basin. In 2024 Montana and partners conducted about 130,000 inspections, intercepted 47 mussel-fouled vessels, and recorded hundreds of weed transports requiring mitigation. Enforcement documented dozens of citations and warnings for failing to stop and additional actions for nonresidents without the required prevention pass. The program reports expanding seasons, refined training, and targeted law-enforcement support to improve compliance.
Wyoming operates an AIS decal system that, for non-motorized watercraft that require decals, costs $5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents; however, all solid and inflatable paddleboards are exempt from the state AIS decal requirement. Inside Grand Teton National Park, every watercraft must have a valid park boat permit before launching, and a paddleboard permit costs $25 per season. Even with the state decal exemption for SUPs, paddlers must still stop at the park's AIS inspection stations as posted. The net effect is that visiting SUP users budget for a park permit and time for inspections rather than a state AIS decal. Checking local site rules before arrival prevents gate-turns and delays.
Idaho funds its program with an invasive-species sticker that is required for non-motorized craft such as SUPs at $7 per vessel each calendar year; motorized vessels not registered in Idaho owe $30 for the sticker. Oversight of sticker sales runs through the Department of Parks and Recreation, while the Department of Agriculture manages the statewide inspection program, with roving and ramp-side stations in peak months. Colorado, by contrast, mandates inspection for trailered and motorized watercraft statewide and requires an ANS stamp for motorboats and sailboats, but there is no statewide ANS fee for SUPs. Local reservoir managers in Colorado often set stricter on-site rules for hand-launched craft, including hot-water spray decontaminations and visible wristbands at places like Westminster, or small-craft permits at Boulder Reservoir. SUP travelers in Colorado should check reservoir-specific pages for permit purchase and inspection hours before arrival.
Canada: BC and Alberta expand roadside programs and penalties
British Columbia requires anyone transporting any watercraft, including SUPs and inflatables, to stop at open provincial inspection stations, and failing to stop can result in a $690 fine. The province opened its 2025 inspection season in early April and continues to operate permanent and roving crews at key corridors. Interim reports show average compliance at inspection stations above 90 percent in 2024, with drain-plug compliance around the mid-80s after a focused education campaign. Program staffing typically includes dozens of trained inspectors, and messaging stresses Clean, Drain, Dry across boats and hand-launched gear alike. SUP tourists crossing into BC should plan for short stops wherever signage indicates stations are open, even if boards are dry and recently unused. Compliance documentation can speed subsequent launches at interior lakes.
Alberta made inspection stops mandatory for all watercraft entering from the east and south borders beginning June 1, 2025, and anyone passing an open station anywhere in the province must stop. If the closest border station is closed, travelers must obtain an inspection within seven days and before any launch. Fines were raised substantially: failing to stop can draw a $4,200 penalty, and transporting a craft with the drain plug inserted can result in a $600 fine.
UK and New Zealand: Check, Clean, Dry as baseline practice
In the UK, the GB Non-native Species Secretariat, Paddle UK, and other partners ask paddlers to follow Check, Clean, Dry every time, with venue-specific dip tanks or washdowns at some sensitive sites. New Zealand likewise promotes Check, Clean, Dry through national guidance under the Biosecurity Act, which makes it an offense to spread freshwater pests. Following golden-clam detections in 2023, New Zealand councils intensified messaging to clean gear thoroughly and allow adequate dry time before moving between waterways. Otago and other regions advise drying kit completely and, where practical, extending drying periods before entering a new catchment. While these campaigns typically do not add new fees for SUPs, paddlers can expect firm expectations about proof of cleaning at organized events and sensitive conservation waters.
What SUP paddlers encounter at checkpoints
A typical workflow begins with signage directing vehicles with watercraft to the inspection queue, where staff ask about the last waterbody and how long the craft has been dry. For SUPs, inspectors visually and tactically check rails, seams, fin boxes, deck pads, leashes, pumps, and any gear that gets wet. They may ask you to remove the fin, open inflation valves momentarily, and towel residual moisture. If standing water, plant fragments, or risk factors are found, the craft is routed to hot-water decontamination, after which staff issue proof-of-inspection or a launch authorization. Some sites affix wristbands or provide dated receipts that downstream launch sites can verify. Keeping a clean board bag and separate wet-dry storage speeds the process and reduces the chance of rerouting to decon.
Colorado reservoir programs illustrate the on-the-ground experience for hand-launched craft: rangers use hot water to spray SUPs, then attach a wristband to show the craft has met ANS protocol and is clear to launch. Around Tahoe, the Tahoe Keepers program certifies paddlers via a short training, encourages self-checks, and offers free inspections or decontaminations for non-motorized craft; sensitive nearby lakes may ask to see a same-day decon receipt. In national parks like Grand Teton, SUP users must stop at park inspection stations and display a valid park boating permit even though state AIS decals are not required for paddleboards. Border programs in BC and Alberta rely on large road signage and inspection corridors, and staff issue proof-of-inspection forms and, in Alberta, stickers to display. Building extra time for these stops into your drive plan avoids missed launch windows. Keeping printed or digital proof of training, passes, and recent decon cuts minutes at the ramp.
Fees SUP travelers actually pay
In Montana, nonresident SUP users must purchase the Vessel AIS Prevention Pass for nonmotorized craft at $10 per calendar year, while motorized vessels owe $30. Idaho requires a $7 invasive-species sticker for non-motorized craft such as SUPs, and motorized vessels not registered in Idaho pay $30. Wyoming sells AIS decals for non-motorized craft at $5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents, but the state exempts all paddleboards from the decal requirement; inside Grand Teton National Park a separate $25 seasonal boat permit is required for a paddleboard, and inspections are mandatory. Oregon currently requires a Waterway Access Permit for paddlecraft 10 feet and longer and has approved an expansion effective January 1, 2026 to include virtually all paddlecraft, with permit prices set at $20 for one year or $35 for two years and a typical fine around $115 for failing to show a permit. At Lake Tahoe, hand-launched non-motorized inspections and decontaminations remain free, though electric hand-launched craft require inspection and a sticker.
Voices from the water: managers and paddlers responding to new rules
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources staff highlighted efficiency gains from new decontamination infrastructure after a season of nearly 300,000 inspections. As DWR Sgt. Krystal Tucker put it in a 2024 update, "The dip tanks continue to be invaluable in improving efficiency for our decontaminations of complex boats" and have been "instrumental in the fight against quagga mussels in Utah." The state also reported more than a thousand violations tied to failing to take the course, pay motorized fees, stop at mandatory stations, or remove drain plugs, reinforcing the need for consistent education and enforcement.
In Oregon, where lawmakers broadened permits to include smaller paddlecraft beginning in 2026 to fund inspections and access, paddlers have voiced mixed reactions. One frequent kayaker told a reporter, "I think it goes against our constitutional rights... I just think they have gone too far," while another boater acknowledged invasive-species risks but argued that expanding fees to all small craft was "a bridge too far." Those comments sit alongside agency statements that the revenue will support more inspection capacity and non-motorized access improvements. SUP travelers weighing the changes should note that enforcement will focus on education early in the implementation season, but carrying proof of a valid permit remains the safest course. The broader pattern across jurisdictions is clear: more documentation for motorized craft, targeted permits for paddlecraft in some states, and universal expectations to arrive clean, drained, and dry.