Launching boats at Virginia public ramps now requires the purchase of a permit. House Bill 1604 allows the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to collect fees at DWR properties, including public landings.
Users must pay a $4 daily or a $26 annual admittance fee for all DWR facilities. The fee does not apply to users younger than 17; those with a valid hunting, freshwater fishing or trapping license; or boaters with a current Virginia boat registration.
The DWR said the fees “help meet the increasing demand for outdoor recreational opportunities through land purchases, ongoing maintenance of current boating access sites, construction of new boating access sites, and maintaining more than 225,000 acres that are open to the public.”
Anyone found in violation will receive a summons and be subject to a $50 fine, plus court costs.
Click here for a list of DWR-owned or managed access sites.
