HB 115: Natural Resources, Department of; certain notice upon registration of a vessel; provide

Georgia law already lets law enforcement remove abandoned boats from public waters and public property, but the process for notifying owners and penalizing them was limited. This bill rewrites large parts of that system under Title 52, Chapter 7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. It requires the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to tell people at the time they register a vessel that failing to remove an abandoned boat can lead to criminal charges. It creates a new 'unattended vessel check' that officers must perform on unattended boats, with a check card attached to the vessel. It rewrites the notice and removal procedures for abandoned vessels, including new rules for advertising unclaimed vessels and revoking registrations. It creates a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or 12 months in jail, for a registered owner who does not remove an abandoned vessel within 30 days of notice, with felony penalties of up to $50,000 or five years for repeat offenses. That 30 day window does not apply for 36 months after the Governor declares a natural disaster affecting the vessel's location. Courts may also order restitution to DNR for removal, storage, and disposal costs.

• Requires vessel registration applications to include a statement warning owners of criminal penalties for failing to remove an abandoned vessel from public waters or property.
• Creates a new 'unattended vessel check' process that law enforcement or DNR-authorized individuals must perform on unattended boats, with a check card attached to the vessel.
• Makes it a misdemeanor for anyone other than law enforcement or a DNR-authorized person to attach a fake unattended vessel check card.
• Creates a new criminal offense for a registered owner who fails to remove an abandoned vessel within 30 days of notice, with a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature (up to $5,000 fine or 12 months jail) for a first offense and a felony (up to $50,000 fine or five years) for repeat offenses.
• Exempts owners from the 30 day removal deadline for 36 months after the Governor declares a natural disaster affecting the vessel's location.
• Authorizes courts to order restitution to the Department of Natural Resources for the cost of removing, storing, and disposing of an abandoned vessel.

Georgia boat owners who register vessels with the Department of Natural Resources, law enforcement officers and DNR-authorized personnel who inspect and remove unattended or abandoned boats, people who remove or store vessels for the state, and county courts that handle related appeals and prosecutions.

Boat owners now face clearer, harsher consequences, including possible jail time and fines up to $50,000, if they leave a boat abandoned on public waters or property after being notified. The bill also gives officers a formal process for checking unattended boats and gives DNR new tools, like restitution, to recover cleanup costs.

• Section 1 adds a new subsection to O.C.G.A. § 52-7-5 requiring vessel registration forms to warn applicants about criminal consequences for failing to remove an abandoned vessel.
• Section 3 creates a new Code section, 52-7-70.1, establishing the 'unattended vessel check' procedure and making it a misdemeanor to attach a fake check card.
• Section 4 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 52-7-71's notice and removal procedures, including new rules on notifying the DNR, advertising for unknown owners, and revoking vessel or motor vehicle registrations for unpaid removal and storage fees.
• Section 5 revises O.C.G.A. § 52-7-72 to replace 'peace officer' with 'law enforcement officer' and tie removal authority to the new unattended vessel check card system.
• Section 6 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 52-7-72.1 to require DNR notice to owners before a vessel is deemed abandoned, and creates the new misdemeanor and felony penalties for failing to remove an abandoned vessel, plus a 36-month exception after a gubernatorial disaster declaration and a restitution provision for DNR's removal and storage costs.
• Section 7 updates the lien foreclosure procedure in O.C.G.A. § 52-7-74 to reference the revised notice requirements in Section 52-7-71.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-11Act 434
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-10Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-10Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2026-02-24Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
8. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)

• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)Primary sponsor
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)
• Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
• Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 26, 2025

   164 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #80

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 10, 2026

   51 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #704

• abandoned boats
• boat registration
• Department of Natural Resources
• public waterways
• criminal penalties