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The Oregon State Marine Board. The name of the agency is also how it's governed. By a five-member volunteer Board of recreational boaters of different types. The Oregon Senate confirms board members who are then appointed by the Governor. Members serve a four-year term. A Board member can only serve two consecutive terms. The agency director reports to the Board. Board members help plot the agency's course on budget and policy decisions.

The agency's funding comes from motorboat titles and registrations, and waterway access permits. Other fees support dedicated programs (Outfitter Guides, Charter registrations, and boating safety education).

The agency also receives fuel tax and federal grants to supplement access and marine law enforcement services for boaters. No lottery, general fund tax dollars, or local facility parking fees support the agency or its programs. 

The Marine Board regulates recreational boating on Oregon state waters. The Board has the statutory authority to regulate recreational boat operations and uses administrative rules (laws) to further define the laws that serve in the interest of protecting:

  • public safety, 
  • property; and 
  • reducing conflict between users (ORS 830.110, 830.175, 830.195).

 Marine Board History Banner
 
  • 2015, boat registration fees increased from $3 per foot to $4.50 per foot to maintain current service levels for at least six years.  The Oregon Legislature sets fees.
  • 2019, the legislature passed SB 47, creating a Waterway Access Account through fees paid by non-motorized boaters who operate boats 10' long and longer with a transferable permit. The Waterway Access Permit replaced the Aquatic Invasive Species Permit beginning January 1, 2020. The fees support the aquatic invasive species and waterway access boating facility grant programs. The Oregon Legislature also approved increased fees from $4.50 per foot to $5.95 per foot for motorized boat registrations, title fees from $50 to $75, and boater education cards from $10 to $20. All fees went into effect on January 1, 2020. The Oregon Legislature also approved a bill requiring boat rental businesses to register with the Marine Board as a mechanism for sharing boating safety information and education to pass along to their customers, and a "Pull the Plug" law requiring all boats to remove the drain plug from their boats after exiting a waterway and while in transit. 
  • In 2021, the e-commerce portal provider changed its secure transaction requirements for the Boat Oregon Store, adding a $1.50 processing fee for online transactions. Additionally, the 2021 Legislature enacted an extra education requirement for anyone engaged in towed watersports operating in the Newberg Pool. In 2022, the law was updated to redefine the Newberg Pool on the Willamette River from the confluence of the Yamhill River (RM 55) to Willamette Falls (RM 26.6). The law also established a maximum loading weight for a boat engaged in towed watersports not to exceed 5,500 pounds. The activity of wake surfing was also banned. Proximity rules exist for wakeboarders, inner tubers, and waterskiers. Boat owners must apply for validation decals, and these need to be placed at the bow of the boat. The Towed Watersports Endorsement (online education and boat decals) costs $20. The credential is valid for two calendar years. 
  • In 2024, local area rules for the Lower Willamette were enacted with seasonal rules from May 1 through September 1 each year. There is a seasonal pass-through zone for boats between the Hawthorne Bridge at river mile 13.2 and Waverly Marina at river mile 17. 

    In this section of river:

    • All boats may pass through without reducing speed
    • PWCs are only allowed to transit through the zone and are not permitted to operate above slow no-wake speed (SNW definition: operating a boat at the slowest speed necessary to maintain steerage and reduce or eliminate waves that appear as whitewater behind the boat)
    • Towed watersports activities are not allowed in this zone
  • In 2025, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2982, an update to the Waterway Access Permit Program. The 10-foot requirement was removed, essentially requiring all boats, including inflatable varieties, to purchase and carry/display a Waterway Access Permit when using a boat on the water. The goal of this law is to raise funding for more boat inspection stations to prevent Oregon waterways from becoming contaminated by aquatic invasive species. Additionally, the bill increased the fees for the permit options, including motorboats, from $5 to an $8 surcharge on motorboat registrations.

    See a comprehensive list of agency and legislative changes between 2019 and 2025.
 

 

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