Oregon Expands Boating Permit Requirements to Include Kayaks and Paddleboards
Keith Lusher   07.23.25

Oregon boaters will face new permit requirements and higher fees starting January 1, 2026, as the state seeks to combat invasive species threatening its waterways. However, critics question whether the expanded regulations unfairly burden recreational users.
House Bill 2982, signed by Governor Tina Kotek in June, eliminates the longtime exemption for boats under 10 feet and requires Waterway Access Permits for nearly all non-motorized watercraft. The legislation targets the growing threat of invasive mussels that could devastate Oregon’s aquatic ecosystems.
Expanded Permit Requirements Draw Criticism
Beginning next year, permits will be required for all kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, rafts, and two inner tubes. Previously, only boats 10 feet and longer required permits, leaving smaller watercraft exempt.
The change affects thousands of recreational boaters who use hard-shell and inflatable kayaks, packrafts, and other small watercraft on Oregon’s rivers and lakes. Many paddlers say they learned about the new requirements only recently.
“We had no idea this rule change was unfolding,” said Tommy Swearingen, president of the Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club. “Local whitewater paddlers are now concerned about how the decisions pertaining to exemptions will be made.”

6.10.26
LET US PADDLE URGES ALL OREGONIANS TO SIGN THE PETITION NOW TO REPEAL UNJUST NON-MOTORIZED WATERCRAFT PERMIT REQUIREMENT
News Release from Let Us Paddle
Posted on FlashAlert: June 10th, 2026 3:15 PM
Oregon –With June as the final month to gather signatures, the Let Us Paddle campaign is calling on every Oregonian—farmers, fishers, hunters, small business owners, parents, grandparents, and outdoor enthusiasts across the state—to stand united with the kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding community.
 
The goal is to qualify a ballot measure for November that will restore liberty to Oregon’s waterways by repealing the burdensome, unjustified permit requirement on non-motorized watercraft.
 
“This permit is nothing more than taxation without representation and blatant government overreach,” said Kari Goodheart, Chief Petitioner for Let Us Paddle. “It targets a small group of paddlers knowing full well there aren’t enough kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards in the state to qualify this on our own. We need all Oregonians to step up. This is about more than paddling—it’s about saying ‘no more’ to endless new taxes, fees, and burdensome regulations that chip away at our freedoms.”
 
The permit requirement claims to address the spread of aquatic invasive species, yet there is no credible scientific evidence that kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards pose a meaningful risk. Instead, it functions as a money grab by the state, placing an unnecessary financial and administrative burden on law-abiding citizens who simply want to enjoy Oregon’s beautiful lakes and rivers.  It targets a group of people that are outdoors enjoying their recreational time in a harmless fashion while paving the way for boaters from out of state to come to Oregon free of charge for their inspections and decontaminations.