Invasive-Species Stickers and Inspections

Your permit and inspection checks change when you take a paddlecraft between Oregon, Idaho and Utah. Their programs use different combinations of permits, stickers, education and roadside inspections to slow the movement of aquatic invasive species (AIS); one state’s receipt usually does not settle another state’s requirements. Oregon’s narrow boundary-water exceptions are below.¹²

This page summarizes published safety guidance. It is not a substitute for instruction, and conditions on your water may differ. Check the current rules for the state and water you paddle.

Key Takeaways

The Oregon State Marine Board’s guidance, checked September 19, 2026, says an operator age 14 or older generally must carry a Waterway Access Permit for each nonmotorized boat in use, subject to the exemptions below.³²
Idaho’s State Department of Agriculture FAQ, checked September 19, 2026, lists a $7 nonmotorized sticker and an exemption requiring all three conditions: under 10 feet (about 3 meters), nonmotorized and inflatable.¹
Utah Code §23A-10-304, effective May 6, 2026, exempts a solely human-powered vessel’s resident or nonresident owner or operator from that section’s fee and course duties. The Division of Wildlife Resources’ April guidance says the course is required; confirm the current requirement with the Division. Separate inspection and decontamination duties remain.⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸
Idaho’s agency requires out-of-state watercraft to be inspected and decontaminated at a station before launch; for an Idaho resident’s craft, it requires inspection and/or decontamination, with proof, after use on mussel-infested water in the last 30 days. Utah’s agency requires its full clean-drain-dry process or professional decontamination before launch when you arrive from another state or country, or have been on mussel-infested water in the last 30 days.⁹⁷

The three-state comparison

This comparison was checked against official sources on September 19, 2026. It covers Oregon, Idaho and Utah only.

State	Paddlecraft payment and education	Inspection duty	Length or craft-type exemption
Oregon	An operator age 14 or older generally must carry a Waterway Access Permit for each nonmotorized boat in use on Oregon waterways. The Boat Oregon prices are $6 for seven days, $20 for the current calendar year and $35 for the current and following calendar years, plus a $1.50 portal fee per transaction. The same options through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) cost $8, $22 and $37 because each includes a $2 transaction fee.³	Everyone transporting a motorized or nonmotorized boat must stop when a designated roadside inspection station is open. The inspection includes kayaks and canoes carried on vehicle racks.¹⁰	A boat shorter than 10 feet qualifies for the whitewater exemption when it is nonmotorized, used for whitewater recreation and on a waterway shown in the state’s Whitewater Exemption map layer. Other exemptions are listed below.³
Idaho	The Idaho State Department of Agriculture FAQ lists a $7 nonmotorized sticker, expiring December 31 of the license year, for canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and rafts, including out-of-state craft. The sticker must be visible.¹	The Department’s inspection page directs you to stop at operating stations with watercraft or water-related equipment. It says out-of-state watercraft must be inspected and decontaminated at a station before launch.⁹	The Department’s FAQ says exemption requires all three conditions: shorter than 10 feet, nonmotorized and inflatable.¹
Utah	Under the Utah Code effective May 6, 2026, a solely human-powered vessel’s resident or nonresident owner or operator is exempt from §23A-10-304’s fee and annual education duties before launch or operation.⁴⁵ The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ April guidance says the course is required; confirm with the Division.⁷⁸ Its agency page says motorized-watercraft boaters enroll and pay $20 (residents) or $25 (nonresidents) annually; the code applies those fees to registration-required vessels, with exemptions.⁵⁷	A person transporting a conveyance may not pass an operating inspection station or checkpoint without presenting it. Utah’s wildlife agency also tells all boaters to stop at operating AIS inspection stations.⁶⁷	The statutory exemption covers a nonmotorized vessel, including a solely human-powered paddlecraft, and an inflatable motorboat. It does not cancel inspection or decontamination duties elsewhere in the chapter.⁴⁵⁶

A permit or sticker answers only one part of the trip check. It does not replace a launch permit, registration, closure or local access condition. The guide to launch permits and access fees separates those categories, and the state-rule checking guide shows how to confirm the current rule for a particular launch.

Oregon: the length floor ended in 2026

The Oregon State Marine Board says a 2025 law change removed the old boat-length threshold. For 2026, an operator generally needs the Waterway Access Permit when using any nonmotorized boat on Oregon waterways, including out-of-state paddlecraft and boats shorter than 10 feet. The permit is not a sticker: you carry it on paper or show it on a phone. A permit can be transferred between nonmotorized boats, but each boat in use needs one.³

The Board’s FAQ says a Boat Oregon seven-day permit starts on the purchase date and cannot be bought for future dates. ODFW’s seven-day permit covers seven consecutive days of your choice.³

The exceptions come from both statute and Marine Board rules. Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) §830.624 exempts an operator under age 14 and lists these exceptions to the permit-carrying requirement for older operators:²

a free boating day designated by the Marine Board by rule;
a person operating a boat owned by a boat-livery operator who displays proof of the required permit under Board rules;
a person operating on a federally designated wild and scenic river with a separate fee system;
a person engaged in law enforcement, public safety or official business of a federal, state or municipal agency, as defined by Board rules;
a bordering-state resident who launches from that state into bordering waters defined by Board rules;
a person holding another state’s nonmotorized boating permit, registration or similar authorization accepted by Board rules;
a member of a federally recognized Oregon tribe engaged in tribal fishing or a tribal ceremony;
a nonmotorized boat shorter than 10 feet while engaged in whitewater recreation on waters identified by Board rules.²

Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 250-010-0760, effective February 3, 2026, also lists boats owned by an eleemosynary organization. The Marine Board’s FAQ, citing ORS 830.790, describes that special category as organizations operated primarily to teach youths skills such as camping and seamanship, with scouts as its example. For the rule’s exemption, a supervising adult must be able to document that the organization-owned boat is engaged in an organization-related activity.³²

The rule also lists lifesaving-only ship’s lifeboats; surfboards, sailboards and kiteboards; livery and outfitter/guide group boats with the required discounted permits and Board compliance certificate; and nonmotorized boats on the Snake River with a valid Idaho invasive-species permit. Its whitewater exception requires both the activity and a waterway in the Board’s Whitewater Exemption map layer.² The Marine Board FAQ separately lists seaplanes and ODFW-designated free fishing days.³ Check the exact launch, route and authorization instead of applying those exceptions elsewhere.

Oregon’s clean-drain-dry instructions are specific. Remove plants, animals and mud and put them in the trash. Drain compartments on land; for paddlecraft, tilt or turn the boat, open compartments, remove seats if needed and rinse places that trap debris. Dry the boat between uses, leave compartments open and sponge out standing water. Pull the drain plug if the boat has one.¹⁰ The Marine Board’s page gives no drying time.

Idaho: the $7 sticker and a three-part exemption

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s sticker FAQ lists an annual $7 nonmotorized sticker for resident and nonresident craft and says the sticker must be visible on the watercraft.¹ This comparison covers launching on Idaho public waters. The FAQ says Idaho Parks and Recreation runs the sticker program; you can buy online, by mail, at Idaho State Parks or regional service centers, and at selected retailers.¹ It separately lists $30 for a motorized boat not registered in Idaho, while an Idaho-registered boat’s registration includes the fee.¹ The Department’s FAQ says a watercraft is exempt only if it is shorter than 10 feet and nonmotorized and inflatable.¹

The Department’s inspection page directs anyone passing an operating inspection station with watercraft or water-related equipment to stop; its examples include kayaks, paddleboards, waders, fishing tackle and life jackets.⁹ For watercraft or water-related equipment exposed to mussel-infested water in the previous 30 days, the Department requires inspection or decontamination and proof that it occurred.⁹ Its separate out-of-state instructions require inspection and decontamination at a station before launch in Idaho.⁹

The July 1, 2026 change to IDAPA §135 concerns only the Snake River quarantine reach near Twin Falls, from Hansen Bridge to the partial bridge structure at the bottom of Yingst Grade, known as Broken Bridge. Within that reach, launch is restricted to hours when the Centennial Waterfront Park inspection station, or another posted station in the quarantine area, is open. All motorized and nonmotorized watercraft and other conveyances of any size, including kayaks, paddleboards, water-exposed recreational gear and a small inflatable exempt from the sticker, require inspection and decontamination by agency personnel or an assigned entity before launch and before exit from the water.¹¹ The Department’s inspection page lists Centennial Waterfront Park’s hours as 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., weather dependent; check before you travel.⁹

The Department’s clean-drain-dry instructions tell you to inspect the boat and gear before leaving a waterbody, remove visible plants and animals on site, and dispose of them in trash or on high, dry ground where they cannot wash into water.⁹ Its page labels this step required by Idaho law: before transporting any watercraft, remove the drain plug and drain all water, including internal compartments, and keep plugs and other drainage barriers open while it is transported by land within the state.⁹ It also tells you to clean and dry everything that contacted water.⁹ The Department’s page gives no drying time.

Utah: the May code exemption and conflicting April guidance

The Utah Code effective May 6, 2026 defines a nonmotorized vessel as one propelled solely by human power. Section 23A-10-304 exempts the resident or nonresident owner or operator of such a vessel from that section before launch or operation, covering both its fee and annual AIS education duties.⁴⁵

Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources pages say otherwise about the course. Its aquatic-invasive-species page, last updated April 21, 2026 and checked September 19, 2026, says all boaters, including users of human-powered kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, must take the annual mussel-aware boater course and carry proof in the launch vehicle.⁷ Its April 15, 2026 news release said the 2026 legislative changes would not take effect until January 1, 2027 and that the previous year’s requirements remained for 2026.⁸ Both predate the May 6 effective date shown on the code sections. Confirm the current requirement with the Division before you launch.

The code’s $20 resident and $25 nonresident fees apply to vessels required to be registered under §73-18-7, or nonresident vessels that would be subject to that registration requirement if resident-owned, with the statute’s exemptions. Section 23A-10-304 expressly exempts inflatable motorboats as well as nonmotorized vessels.⁵ A kayak propelled solely by paddling meets the human-power definition; a kayak using a motor or sail does not.⁴

The exemption does not remove Utah’s transport controls. Section 23A-10-201 prohibits transporting a conveyance or equipment exposed to infested water in the previous 30 days without decontamination. A person transporting a conveyance may not proceed past or travel through an inspection station or administrative checkpoint during its hours of operation without presenting the conveyance for inspection.⁶

Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources says that if you arrive from another state or country, or have been on a mussel-infested water such as Lake Powell in the last 30 days, you must decontaminate before launching on any Utah water. Its two options are the state’s full clean-drain-dry process or professional decontamination; its page links to STDoftheSea.utah.gov for the process.⁷

When you leave Lake Powell, the Division tells you to clean mud, plants and animals from your watercraft, expressly including kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Remove applicable drain plugs on the ramp and leave them out, and stop at every open inspection station. If the station is closed, the Division says you are legally responsible for cleaning and draining before leaving and for transporting with drain plugs removed.⁷

Before crossing a state line

Before travel, check the destination’s documents and preparation steps:

Carry Oregon’s required permit or Idaho’s required visible sticker, subject to their exemptions. Confirm Utah’s course requirement with the Division because its April guidance conflicts with the May code text.³¹⁵⁷⁸
Follow Oregon’s clean-drain-dry steps; Idaho requires draining with plugs and drainage barriers open during land transport within the state. After Lake Powell, Utah’s Division requires cleaning and draining before departure and plugs out during transport.¹⁰⁹⁷
Stop at operating inspection stations under each state’s instructions.¹⁰⁹⁷
For an out-of-state craft, arrange Idaho’s required station inspection and decontamination before launch. For arrival from another state or country into Utah, complete its full clean-drain-dry process or obtain professional decontamination before launch.⁹⁷

Repeat the official check shortly before travel: fees, station hours, infested-water lists and water-specific instructions can change. These invasive-species documents are separate from equipment rules. The U.S. Coast Guard’s November 2023 federal boater guide calls federal equipment requirements minimums and says your state may require more.¹² The wider Safety library connects this check to equipment, weather and trip planning.

For the equipment check, use the required and recommended gear guide.

Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Invasive Species Sticker FAQs, checked September 19, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 830, §§830.624, 830.627 and 830.630, 2025 Edition; and OAR 250-010-0760, effective February 3, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Oregon State Marine Board, Waterway Access Permit FAQs, checked September 19, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
Utah Code §23A-10-101, effective May 6, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Utah Code §23A-10-304, effective May 6, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Utah Code §23A-10-201, effective May 6, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Aquatic Invasive Species, last updated April 21, 2026; checked September 19, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Boating in Utah in 2026, published April 15, 2026; checked September 19, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Watercraft Inspection Stations, checked September 19, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²
Oregon State Marine Board, Aquatic Invasive Species Program, checked September 19, 2026. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Idaho State Department of Agriculture, IDAPA 02.06.09 §135: 2026 Agricultural Affairs Pending Rule Book, docket 02-0609-2503; July 2026 Administrative Bulletin, final effective date July 1, 2026. ↩
U.S. Coast Guard, A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats, revised November 2023, p. 7. ↩