The Boating Advisory Council on Oct. 28 voted to support increasing the state boat-dealer registration and numbering fee from $25 to $30, a proposal the Division of Outdoor Recreation said was unchanged since 2014.

Ty Hunter explained the fee covers dealer plates used for demonstrations, test drives and service of boats that are part of a dealer's inventory. Hunter said the division recommends increasing the fee to $30 and set an effective date no later than July 1, 2026 if it is approved through the division's fee-schedule and legislative process.

Council members asked whether the change would be burdensome to dealers; staff said the modest increase was not expected to be a barrier for businesses that regularly obtain dealer plates. The division also clarified this administrative fee does not change laws or rules relating to aquatic invasive species; those laws remain separately enforced.

John Larson moved to support the $30 dealer plate fee; George Summers seconded. The council voted in favor and recorded the advisory recommendation to include the increase in the division's 2026 fee schedule for legislative consideration.