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Click here to learn more about the aquatic invasive species within the Lake Tahoe Basin, and those we are defending Lake Tahoe from.

• All motorized vessels, including electric vessels and trailered non-motorized vessels, require an inspection.
• New boats and engines are tested in water before leaving the factory and are still required to be inspected.
• All hand-launched non-motorized vessels, like canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, are subject to inspection and/or decontamination. All inspections and decontaminations are provided free of charge for non-motorized vessels. Visit Tahoe Keepers to learn how to inspect and Clean, Drain, & Dry your vessel.

• An optional appointment system has been created for your convenience and to improve operational efficiency at inspection stations. During the summer boating season, it is accessible on the Locations and Hours page.
• Appointments are an additional $15.
• Inspections will also be available on a first-come first-served basis at all inspection locations.

Be sure to have your keys, as well as anything that comes in contact with water, such as ballast bags, anchors, sea strainers, life jackets, and additional gear.

• There is a fee for motorized watercraft inspections based on the length of the vessel.
• There is a fee for decontamination based on vessel complexity and adherence to Clean, Drain, Dry protocol.
• There is no fee for inspection of electric motors or non-motorized vessels. Decontamination fees apply for trailered watercraft. Decontaminations are free for hand-launched watercraft.
• Please see our Stickers and Fees page for the most up to date fees.

Invasive species, like quagga, zebra, and golden mussels, pose a threat to Lake Tahoe and can be transported overland via watercraft. Learn more about invasive species here.

• Clean up any oil, dirt, and debris inside bilges and storage compartments, and remove all items inside these compartments prior to arriving for your inspection.
• Drain water from your drive unit, sea strainers, bilge, ballast tanks, live wells, and any storage compartments.
• Dry the entire vessel, including toys and gear, for as long as you can in between launches.

Make sure all systems are operational, including batteries, engine(s), pumps, etc. If you have any special adapters or a flush kit for your engine, please bring them with you to the inspection station.

For vessels with ballasts, make sure to bring all ballast bags with you to the inspection station.

All watercraft will be decontaminated (separate fee will apply). Arrive Clean, Drained, and Dry to avoid additional decontamination fees.

Decontaminations are available at our roadside inspection stations during the summer. Contact us to schedule a decontamination during the winter.

The decontamination will result in a grey Tahoe Decon seal that may be accepted at other waterbodies.

Visit dbw.parks.ca.gov/inspections for contact information for other bodies of water, and to confirm their acceptance of the grey seal.

Schedule an appointment here.

If you would like a decontamination to launch in another waterbody, please use the walk-in service.

If you make an appointment, but request a decontamination for another lake, you will be redirected to the walk-in line and your appointment fee will be forfeited. 

• All motorized vessels require a seal and sticker to launch in Lake Tahoe and surrounding regional waterbodies.
• Tahoe In & Out stickers are eligible for unlimited inspections during the calendar year. Additional decontamination fees apply.
• A Single Inspection Pass is good for 1 inspection and valid for 7 consecutive days of sealing and unsealing at Tahoe launch facilities.
• Tahoe Only stickers are reserved for vessels with an intact Tahoe inspection seal.

If you launch somewhere else, you need to remove the seal and get inspected and decontaminated before launching in the Lake Tahoe region again.

Blue Tahoe seal – Decontaminated for launch in Lake Tahoe.

Green Fallen Leaf Lake seal – Decontaminated for launch in Fallen Leaf Lake. Can launch in Fallen Leaf Lakes or Lake Tahoe.

Yellow Echo Lakes seal – Decontaminated for launch in Echo Lakes. Can launch in Echo Lakes or Lake Tahoe.

Grey Tahoe Decon seal – Accepted at select waterbodies around California as evidence of decontamination. Please visit dbw.parks.ca.gov/inspections for contact information for other waterbodies and their seal acceptance policy.

Red quarantine seal – We do not offer these. You cannot launch with this seal, nor remove this seal from your vessel.

Only Tahoe, Echo, and Fallen Leaf Lake seals are allowed to launch on Lake Tahoe. We do not accept decontaminations from other waterbodies. 

• The only seals accepted at Lake Tahoe are Tahoe, Fallen Leaf and Echo seals.
• The only seals accepted at Fallen Leaf and Echo Lakes are seals for those respective lakes.

• If you already have a seal, you do not need an inspection. Tahoe Only stickers can be purchased at an inspection station or launch facility on Lake Tahoe, except for Fallen Leaf or Echo Lakes.
• If you would like to purchase a Tahoe In & Out annual pass, please visit one of the roadside inspection stations.

eFoils, eSUPs, electric wakesurf boards, and trolling motors on small kayaks are examples of hand-launched electric watercraft (HLEW).

Hand-launched electric watercraft (HLEW) must be inspected prior to the first launch each calendar year to receive their free electric sticker.

Inspections and decontaminations for HLEW are free, and HLEW are expedited to the front of the line at inspection stations.

Violators of TRPA Code of Ordinances 63.4 are subject to a minimum $5,000 monetary penalty.

• Clean, Drain, and Dry their watercraft before and after every launch.
• Reinspect at a Tahoe station after launching in waters outside of the Tahoe Region.
• Reinspect at a Tahoe station before launching at Fallen Leaf and Echo Lakes.
• Reinspect at a Tahoe station for free electric sticker every calendar year.

While you can launch your HLEW with a current electric sticker, we encourage you to reinspect at the station for a new proof of inspection.

• Large or oversized commercially transported boats will need an AIS inspection and decontamination prior to arriving at any launching facility in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The boat operator will need to call the Hotline, 888-824-6267, at least 72 hours in advance of arrival, Monday through Friday, to help coordinate the inspection.
• If coming from outside of Nevada or California, boat transporters can call 844-311-4873 prior to hauling to have a destination state representative reach out to facilitate and expedite the watercraft inspection process anywhere in the Western U.S. More information can be found here.

Learn how to inspect and Clean, Drain, & Dry your vessel by becoming a Tahoe Keeper.

Note: Trailered non-motorized vessels (like sailboats) are required to be inspected and decontaminated. Decontamination fees apply.

1. Watch the video.
2. Take the quiz.
3. Once you have passed the quiz, register.
4. Pick up your decal from the TRPA office or any watercraft inspection station.
5. Go paddle on the Lake Tahoe Water Trail.

Bring a printed or mobile version of your certificate to the location to claim your decal(s).

• U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
• Sport Fishing Rules and Regulations Booklet

• Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
• United States Coast Guard
• California Division of Boating and Waterways
• Nevada Department of Wildlife

• Evinrude E-TEC
• Mercury Optimax
• Yamaha High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI)
• Nissan and Tohatsu 2-stroke Low-pressure Direct Injection (TLDI)

If you are unsure about whether your engine is allowed on the lakes in the Tahoe Region, please contact Steve Sweet, ssweet@trpa.org 775-589-5250

Follow these links for information about additional programs:

• California Watercraft Inspections and Vessel Restrictions
• Western States Inspection Programs