Living Aboard a Boat in Fort Lauderdale: What Florida Law Says and What to Ask a Marina

Entry 04First watch · Slips & Marinas4 min

Fort Lauderdale’s mild winters and long waterfront make living on a boat an appealing idea, and some people do it for a season, others for years. Whether it is allowed depends less on the boat than on three layers of rules: the state’s definition of a live-aboard vessel, what local governments may regulate, and what the marina’s own contract says.

The cockpit of a docked sailboat at dusk with cushions, a folded table and warm cabin light glowing through a hatch

What counts as a live-aboard vessel

Florida Statutes section 327.02 defines a live-aboard vessel as any of the following:

  • a vessel used solely as a residence and not for navigation;
  • a vessel for which a declaration of domicile has been filed under section 222.17; or
  • a vessel used as a residence that does not have an effective means of propulsion for safe navigation.

Commercial fishing vessels are expressly excluded. The definition matters because state law treats live-aboards differently from cruising boats. A cruiser spending weekends aboard a boat it regularly takes out is not necessarily a live-aboard under this definition; a boat that never leaves the dock and serves as someone’s home may well be.

How far local rules can go

Section 327.60 gives the state control over most boating matters, and it lists things counties and cities may not regulate, including vessels on the Florida Intracoastal Waterway and, generally, the anchoring of vessels outside permitted mooring fields. But it carves out live-aboards. The law says it does not prohibit local governments from enacting or enforcing regulations that prohibit or restrict the mooring or anchoring of floating structures, live-aboard vessels or commercial vessels within their jurisdictions.

The same section lets local governments in counties with 1.5 million or more people regulate boats that anchor for an hour or more at night on more than 30 days in any six-month period, outside marked mooring fields. In practice, that means a live-aboard plan in Fort Lauderdale should start with the current city code and the marina, not with the general state rules. Anchoring overnight inside a marked mooring field does not count toward that limit.

Tip: Ask the marina for its live-aboard policy in writing. Many marinas charge differently for live-aboards, limit how many they allow, or do not allow them at all.

Toilets and sewage: the rules that apply to everyone aboard

Under section 327.53, every vessel 26 feet or longer with an enclosed cabin and berths must have a toilet while on Florida waters. On boats other than houseboats it may be portable or permanently installed, and a permanently installed toilet must be attached to a Coast Guard certified or labeled marine sanitation device.

  • Raw sewage may not be discharged from any vessel or floating structure in Florida waters.
  • If a boat is plumbed so a toilet or holding tank could be emptied overboard, the valve must be set to prevent direct discharge and locked or otherwise secured while on state waters.
  • Waste from Type III devices, which are holding tanks, must go to an approved pump-out facility.
  • Violations of these sanitation rules carry a $250 civil penalty under section 327.73.

Local governments may also require proof of proper sewage disposal, such as pump-out records, from boats anchored or moored for more than 10 consecutive days in permitted mooring fields or federal no-discharge zones, and they may set pump-out requirements for live-aboard vessels anywhere in their jurisdiction.

Where to pump out in Fort Lauderdale

The City of Fort Lauderdale runs four complimentary pump-out stations open to the public: self-service around the clock at Cox’s Landing Boat Ramp, 1784 SE 15th Street, and at Smoker Park, 501 S. New River Drive; and assisted service from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Marshall Point on SW 4th Avenue and at Cooley’s Landing Marina, 450 SW 7th Avenue. The city’s dock connections at Cooley’s Landing and the New River downtown docks include sewage hookups. More options are in Fuel Docks and Pump-Out Stations in Fort Lauderdale: Where to Fill Up and Empty the Tank Legally.

Mail, registration and a home address

Living aboard does not remove the need to register the boat. Florida’s registration law lets the state wildlife commission authorize a live-aboard owner whose primary residence is the vessel to give a post office box instead of a physical residential address on the application. See Florida Boat Registration: Who Needs It, What It Costs by Length and How to Display the Numbers for classes and fees.

Questions to settle before you move aboard