Prepare for Inspection and Decontamination
Before You Come:
Save time and money. Arrive Clean, Drain, Dry.
- Bring your keys.
- 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
- Bring boating related equipment, including buoys, water toys, personal flotation devices, wake boards, ropes, anchor, etc.
- For vessels with ballasts, make sure to bring all ballast bags with you to the inspection station.
- Leave anything that’s not boating related at home, like bikes, luggage, pets, etc.
- Inspection stations are active work areas and visitors should stay in their vehicle unless needed. It’s probably best not to bring the whole family.
- Bring form of payment. Only Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the inspection stations.
Allowable Engines:
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) prohibits the launch and use of most carbureted 2-stroke engines. Two-stroke engines that are Direct Fuel Injected (DFI) and those that have been certified to pass 2001 California Air Resources Board (CARB) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2006 standards are still allowed.
Commercial Transporters:
Commercial transporters and oversized watercraft must make arrangements for inspection and decontamination before hauling watercraft. Boat transporters must call the toll-free number 1-844-311-4873 or complete the form at bit.ly/CBYHForm prior to transporting watercraft throughout the western states. Participating in the Call Before You Haul program expedites the transport process through legal requirements for watercraft inspection and decontamination.
Hand Launched Electric Watercraft:
All motorized vessels require an inspection and decontamination, including hand-launched electric watercraft (HLEW) like eFoils, eSUPs, electric wakesurf boards, and kayaks with trolling motors. For specific hand-launched electric requirements, click here.
Commercial Transport Instructions
Commercial transporters and oversized watercraft must make arrangements for inspection and decontamination before hauling watercraft. Boat transporters must call the toll-free number 1-844-311-4873 or complete the form at bit.ly/CBYHForm prior to transporting watercraft throughout the western states. Participating in the Call Before You Haul program expedites the transport process through legal requirements for watercraft inspection and decontamination.
Prohibition of 2-Stroke Engines
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) prohibits the launch and use of most carbureted 2-stroke engines. Two-stroke engines that are Direct Fuel Injected (DFI) and those that have been certified to pass 2001 California Air Resources Board (CARB) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2006 standards are still allowed.
Hand Launched Electric Watercraft:
All motorized vessels require an inspection and decontamination, including hand-launched electric watercraft (HLEW) like eFoils, eSUPs, electric wakesurf boards, and kayaks with trolling motors. For specific hand-launched electric requirements, click here.
Clean all surfaces that touch water; Dispose of vegetation, mud, and sand; Remove any contaminants.
Drain water from the bilge; Empty ballast tanks, live wells, and sea strainers; Lower the outdrive to drain ALL water from intakes.
Dry all compartments; Dry life jackets, ropes, and toys. Any water present during the inspection will increase your decontamination fee.
What to expect at the Watercraft Inspection Station:
Watercraft inspection stations serve four basic functions:
- Provide AIS education messages to boaters.
- Physically and visually inspect vessels for aquatic invasive species. The inspection consists of a brief interview and a watercraft inspection.
- Decontaminate watercraft.
- Provide the required stickers and seals to launch in Lake Tahoe (or Fallen Leaf Lake and Echo Lake).
After your vessel is inspected and decontaminated, you will receive a Tahoe sticker along with a wire seal that attaches your boat to your trailer. A seal is required to launch at any lake in the Tahoe Basin and is removed at the launch site.
If you plan to boat in Fallen Leaf or Echo Lakes and do not currently have a wire seal from those lakes, a decontamination is required, regardless of sticker type, before launching. Fees for Tahoe Basin stickers and decontamination apply.
