Illinois Environmental Boating Laws
Aquatic Plants and Animals: Do not leave a water access area, get on a highway or enter a new Illinois waterbody with aquatic plants and animals on the exterior of your watercraft or trailer. This law helps prevent the spread of invasive aquatic animals, plant fragments and seeds the can adhere to your boat and equipment.
Boat Registration and Safety Act: 625ILCS45/5-23 Effective January 1 2013
Water: Do not leave a water access area without emptying any compartment capable of holding natural waters, such as bait bucket, live well, bilge, etc. This law helps prevent the spread of VHS, a fish disease that is fatal for sport and bait fish.
VHS LAW: Illinois Administration Code title 17875.50 Effective May 18, 2015
Live Bait: Do not release unused purchased live bait into any waterbody. Do not use live prohibited species as live bait. Do not transport wild-trapped live bait to another waterbody. These laws help prevent the spread of invasive species used as live bait.
Aquatic Live Release Law: 515 ILCS 5/10-100. Effective January 1, 2015
Transport Zero – www.transportzero.org/aquatic.html
Funding for this project was provided in part by the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission through a Watershed Management Board Grant