AI Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill changes the watercraft licensing system in Minnesota. It updates the amounts charged for different watercraft licenses, creates a new structure for fees based on watercraft size and use, and repeals a current provision (86B.005 subdivision 11a).
Main Provisions
Section 1 — Subdivision 1 (Watercraft 19 feet or less)
- Updates the fee for a watercraft license for watercraft 19 feet or less in length.
- Establishes fee categories for different uses and ownership models (e.g., watercraft not classified as a personal watercraft used for rent or lease, sailboats, nonprofit teaching use, dealer-owned watercraft under a dealer’s license, personal watercraft, and smaller watercraft under 17 feet).
- Purpose is to set a new fee structure for small watercraft.
Section 2 — Subdivision 1a (Canoes, kayaks, sailboards, paddleboards, paddleboats, rowing shells)
- Sets a specific watercraft license fee for these types of watercraft over ten feet in length.
Section 3 — Subdivision 2 (Watercraft over 19 feet)
- Establishes a tiered fee schedule for watercraft longer than 19 feet but in different length ranges (e.g., more than 19 feet but less than 26 feet; 26 feet but less than 40 feet; 40 feet and longer).
Section 4 — Subdivision 3 (Watercraft over 19 feet for commercial use/hire)
- Sets a license fee for watercraft over 19 feet used primarily for charter fishing, commercial fishing, commercial passenger carrying, or other commercial operation for hire with an operator.
Section 5 — Subdivision 4 (Watercraft used by nonprofit organization for teaching)
- Establishes a license fee for watercraft used by a nonprofit organization for teaching boat and water safety.
Section 6 — Subdivision 5 (Dealers license)
- Specifies that there is no separate watercraft license fee for watercraft owned by a dealer under a dealers license.
- Keeps a dealer license fee (a specific amount is listed in the bill).
Section 7 — Repealer
- Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 86B.005 subdivision 11a.
Section 8
- The excerpt includes Sec. 8 but does not describe its contents.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Creates a unified and updated fee schedule for watercraft licenses, with different amounts based on watercraft length and use (small watercraft, canoes/kayaks, sailboards, personal watercraft, commercial uses, and nonprofit teaching).
- Introduces specific fees for watercraft over 19 feet with distinct tiers by length.
- Adds a dedicated license fee for commercial-use vessels (over 19 feet) and for nonprofit teaching use.
- Eliminates a separate dealer-specific watercraft fee by allowing dealer-owned watercraft under a dealer license to be charged under the dealer license instead.
- Repeals an existing statute (86B.005 subdivision 11a), removing that provision from current law.
Terminology and Concepts Emphasized (Key terms from the bill)
- watercraft license fee
- Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 86B.415 (and subdivisions 1, 1a, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- watercraft 19 feet or less
- watercraft over 19 feet
- watercraft for rent or lease
- personal watercraft
- nonprofit corporation for teaching boat and water safety
- dealers license / dealer-owned watercraft
- charter fishing, commercial fishing, commercial passenger carrying, for hire
- Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 86B.005 subdivision 11a (repealed)
Relevant Terms watercraft license fee, 86B.415, subdivision 1, subdivision 1a, subdivision 2, subdivision 3, subdivision 4, subdivision 5, watercraft 19 feet or less, watercraft over 19 feet, canoes, kayaks, sailboards, paddleboards, paddleboats, rowing shells, nonprofit teaching, dealer license, charter fishing, commercial operation, repeal, 86B.005 subdivision 11a
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2026 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy | |
| March 02, 2026 | House | Action | Author added | ||
| March 05, 2026 | House | Action | Author added |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Revisions to the base fee for watercraft licenses under Subd. 1 (for watercraft 19 feet or less)."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.415, subdivision 1, to adjust the license fees for watercraft 19 feet or less, with exceptions noted for paragraph b and subdivision 1a.",
"modified": [
"Fees for watercraft 19 feet or less are updated and restructured across the listed license categories under Subd. 1."
]
},
"citation": "86B.415",
"subdivision": "1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"New fee established for canoes, kayaks, sailboards, paddleboards, paddleboats, or rowing shells over ten feet in length."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.415, subdivision 1a, to set the license fee for certain small watercraft categories (canoes, kayaks, sailboards, paddleboards, paddleboats, rowing shells) over ten feet in length.",
"modified": [
"Subdivision 1a now specifies the fee for several small watercraft types exceeding ten feet in length."
]
},
"citation": "86B.415",
"subdivision": "1a"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"New tiered fee structure for watercraft over 19 feet: 19–26 feet, 26–40 feet, and 40 feet or longer."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.415, subdivision 2, to set fees for watercraft over 19 feet, with specific tiers by length.",
"modified": [
"Fee amounts and tiering for larger watercraft are updated under Subd. 2."
]
},
"citation": "86B.415",
"subdivision": "2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Commercial-use fee structure defined for watercraft over 19 feet used for hire with an operator."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.415, subdivision 3, regarding watercraft over 19 feet used for commercial hire (charter, fishing, passenger carrying, etc.).",
"modified": [
"Fee for commercial-use over-19-foot watercraft is specified as a per-hire amount."
]
},
"citation": "86B.415",
"subdivision": "3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Nonprofit teaching-use license fee defined."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.415, subdivision 4, for watercraft used by nonprofit organizations for teaching boating and safety.",
"modified": [
"Fee for nonprofit teaching-use watercraft is specified."
]
},
"citation": "86B.415",
"subdivision": "4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Dealers license structure maintained; explicit fee defined for dealers license."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 86B.415, subdivision 5, concerning the dealers license for watercraft.",
"modified": [
"There is no separate fee for watercraft owned by a dealer under a dealers license, with a specified dealer license fee."
]
},
"citation": "86B.415",
"subdivision": "5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Subdivision 11a of 86B.005 is repealed."
],
"summary": "This bill repeals Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 86B.005, subdivision 11a.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "86B.005",
"subdivision": "11a"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee