2024 mussel aware test

[BYUHunter]

As to the start of Jan 1, 2024 do I need to get the AIS sticker now or when I have to Re-register my Boat?
So if I registered my boat with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles prior to June 30, 2023 already paid the $20 fee and have a copy of the mussel-aware boater course certification on my dash and on my boat I should not need to do a redo just to get a sticker sooner, until I need to re-reregister my boat again. That is how it states and if not so, they need to update the site.

My limited understanding (someone please correct me) of their ever-changing goal post, is that you now need to purchase a separate 2024 AIS sticker, as the "prior to June 30, 2023" exemption expired 1/1/24. 

You will then be dinged ANOTHER $20 upon renewal of your current registration. 

That's my understanding of this revenue-generating tax disguised as an environmental concern.

[wiperhunter2]

As to the start of Jan 1, 2024 do I need to get the AIS sticker now or when I have to Re-register my Boat?
So if I registered my boat with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles prior to June 30, 2023 already paid the $20 fee and have a copy of the 2023 mussel-aware boater course certification on my dash and on my boat I should not need to do a redo just to get a sticker sooner, until I need to re-reregister my boat again. That is how it states and if not so, they need to update the site.

No, not unless you plan on taking you boat out anytime soon but before you put it on the water in 2024 you must take the test and pay for the new $20 sticker. Correct on the second question, you only need to pay the $20 once a year, when you take the AIS test. You said 2023 did you mean 2024? Remember we are talking about two different things. Licensing your boat with the DMV and registering your boats with the DWR with the boats bow numbers are two different things.

[wiperhunter2]

As to the start of Jan 1, 2024 do I need to get the AIS sticker now or when I have to Re-register my Boat?
So if I registered my boat with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles prior to June 30, 2023 already paid the $20 fee and have a copy of the mussel-aware boater course certification on my dash and on my boat I should not need to do a redo just to get a sticker sooner, until I need to re-reregister my boat again. That is how it states and if not so, they need to update the site.

My limited understanding (someone please correct me) of their ever-changing goal post, is that you now need to purchase a separate 2024 AIS sticker, as the "prior to June 30, 2023" exemption expired 1/1/24. 

You will then be dinged ANOTHER $20 upon renewal of your current registration. 

That's my understanding of this revenue-generating tax disguised as an environmental concern.

I do not think that is correct, from what I read when I took the test, you only need to pay the $20 fee once a year, no matter when you license your boat. When you license your boat, you just pay the license fee, so it will be $10 cheaper than last year.

[wiperhunter2]

I spoke directly with Utah Parks and Recreation today 1/2/2024.  I was told that if you registered your boat after July 1st last summer (2023) then you need the sticker for AIS.  For those of you, like myself, who's boat comes due in April 2024, I do NOT need a AIS sticker for my boat since it was registered before June 30, 2023 and the UDMV collected the money for the AIS built into the registration cost.  When any boat comes up for renewal from Jan-June 2024, then they will need to get the AIS sticker and pay UDWR the $20 and not pay UDMV the $20.  In either case you have to have the mussel awareness form on your dashboard of your launch vehicle.  They said NOTHING about displaying an AIS registration form on the launch vehicle and knew nothing about that.  They said you only need to display the AIS mussel form that we have all been doing for the last 8 years or so.  One phone call cleared everything up.  Much easier than listening to "what ifs" from arm chair warriors out there.

Since the DWR is now running the program as far as the AIS is concerned how would the parks folks know anything about what you need to display on your dash. Take the new test and pay the $20 fee, it clearly spells it out what you need before launching your boat, if you don't have both forms on your dash when you launch your boat you can get a ticket. You should know better than most of us, the different divisions don't talk to each other, so one does not know what the other one is doing.

[BoatBallast]

The two documents I got from registering BOTH said on them that they needed to be displayed in my front window.

[RockyRaab2]

What we fail to understand is that the system is not designed for our convenience, but to make it easier for them to write tickets.

I fully agree with the need to prevent the spread of mussels, but there HAS to be a better system than this.

[Gone Forever]

Finished Utah, now ID, OR and WA. Gonna be an expensive year for me. Multiple out of state licenses, multiple states parks and launching certificates, multiple states invasive species stickers. My boat is going to look sponsored with all the stickers and I hope it confuses them.
Any and all interactions will be recorded.

[BYUHunter]

As to the start of Jan 1, 2024 do I need to get the AIS sticker now or when I have to Re-register my Boat?
So if I registered my boat with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles prior to June 30, 2023 already paid the $20 fee and have a copy of the 2024 mussel-aware boater course certification on my dash and on my boat I should not need to do a redo just to get a sticker sooner, until I need to re-reregister my boat again. That is how it states and if not so, they need to update the site.

I have not try to do a 2024 mussel-aware boater course certification yet, so I'm not sure if they are making you get the sticker now or if you Re-register a Boat, also what about a non-motorized vessels? can you certification for that without having to pay the $20 or can you just do the old way like it states? I will try and do the a 2024 mussel-aware certification soon and see if they let me print a copy without having to pay until I Re-register my Boat. If not, I should be able to use the 2023 certification until I have to Re-register my Boat and then pay the fees and get another sticker for my boat. Why do I feel like I have to slide a credit card through my b--t crack and pay extra $ all the time.

I addressed this a few posts earlier, next time please read the thread before asking the same question again.  You do NOT need to get a sticker until your registration comes due.  I took the 2024 mussel awareness test and printed out my form and you do not have register your boat until the registration is due (sometime between now and June 30, 2024).

You addressed it with incorrect information. 

Upon further research, this functions like a parks pass - it expires 12/31 of each year, and you need a new one 1/1 of each year, for the calendar year.

Registration anniversary is unrelated, because they pulled the $10 AIS fee out of the DMV registration fees and turned it over to the DWR (who doubled the price, or course).

I wouldn't be so quick to run around calling others "keyboard warriors" since you seem to have a few battle scars yourself.

[dubob]

Upon further research, this functions like a parks pass - it expires 12/31 of each year, and you need a new one 1/1 of each year, for the calendar year.

Registration anniversary is unrelated, because they pulled the $10 AIS fee out of the DMV registration fees and turned it over to the DWR (who doubled the price, or course).

Based on what I have read on the subject, I think you may be right about the decal being required as of 1/1/2024 regardless of when your boat registration expires in 2024.  But Scott may be better informed and his statement may be what the state agency running the program interoperates the law to mean.

The DWR did NOT double the fee. The Utah State Legislature did in the 2023 Legislative Session with SB 112.  The old $10 fee was simply collected and placed in an account by the DMV with no extra paperwork required and no decal issued.  The new $20 fee requires a new collection system by a different state agency along with issuing a certificate and a decal.  Sorry, but there just AIN'T no free lunch.  There are almost always going to be cost increases associated with changing a government program or system.

[BearLakeFishGuy]

I have asked the LE officer for UDWR to chime in and try to answer/clear up any questions.  I hope that will help everyone to understand things better.

[RILEYFISH]

So, its been interesting to read through everyones thoughts and experiences thus far. I just completed my 2024 AIS testing and purchased the 20 dollar sticker. While my boat is not due for rgistration until 06/24, i thought about this and decided that i would just get the sticker now, its good until 12/31/2024, even if i dont need it until after i register my boat, I would rather be out 20 bucks, even if they somehow require me to do it again, then what the cost of the citation would be for not having it, the hassle of going to court and or mailing it in, etc. I will just display both papers on the dash, just in case, so there is no question. 

I sure hope things smooth out over the next year or two with this whole thing. trying to decifer through some of this stuff is mind boggling.

[TubeDude]

I'm a float tuber...not a boater...and I only fish a few Wasatch Front waters each year.  But I get to pay the same registration (and now AIS) amount as a tricked out super boat...just because i have an ELECTRIC motor on my tube. I figure I am paying the full cost of my motor about every two years.  You boaters should be glad you don't have proportionate fees.

[2knots]

Scott
See highlight in yellow below, this is the document you get after paying the 20 bucks and is part of what is creating the confusion on what has to be displayed, the test certificate also says it has to be displayed.

[SkunkedAgain]

I think both sides were somewhat correct in the above discussion, but the small piece of info that was missing is the fact that you don't need the stamp until the boat license expires, but you do need the new mussel certificate. The stamp is good for the calendar year, so while I was in there getting my certificate, which is calendar year also, it was probably the easiest time to buy the stamp, so I got the stamp even though my boat doesn't expire until March... So hopefully now I will just have to provide my number when I renew the license and all will be good... Again I don't think I have to have the stamp before then, but it's like why not since it's good for the calendar year only not a 365 thing... So I don't think this was worth quarreling over... I don't like extra fees and I think the second sheet of paper is stupid and should have been incorporated into the first, but whatever, I'll comply... Later Jeff

[Gone Forever]

I think both sides were somewhat correct in the above discussion, but the small piece of info that was missing is the fact that you don't need the stamp until the boat license expires, but you do need the new mussel certificate.  The stamp is good for the calendar year, so while I was in there getting my certificate, which is calendar year also, it was probably the easiest time to buy the stamp, so I got the stamp even though my boat doesn't expire until March... So  hopefully now I will just have to provide my number when I renew the license and all will be good... Again I don't think I have to have the stamp before then, but it's like why not since it's good for the calendar year only not a 365 thing... So I don't think this was worth quarreling over... I don't like extra fees and I think the second sheet of paper is stupid and should have been incorporated into the first, but whatever, I'll comply... Later Jeff

I went ahead and did everything as well, before the legislature gets into session and makes more changes.
I am also anticipating a raise in prices from the DMV for all boats to make up for the $ they no longer get. Probably be a % increase based on value of the boat.

[liketrolling]

2024 MUSSEL-AWARE BOATER PROGRAM TEXT
Beginning July 1, 2023, all boaters - Utah resident and nonresidents alike - intending to launch a motorized vessel in a Utah water must take the Utah mussel-aware boater course and pay the AIS registration fee through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. (The DMV will no longer accept payment for AIS registration for Utah boaters.) The fee for vessels registered in Utah is $20. The fee for vessels registered outside of Utah is $25

Previously, the AIS registration was only required for non-resident boaters, and Utah residents paid the AIS fee when they registered their boat through the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles.

This AIS registration will be for the current calendar year. Upon completion, you will be mailed a sticker to be placed "on the bow of the vessel's port side six inches aft of the vessel's registration decal".

At the completion of this exam you will be presented with a link to register a motorized vessel. Click the "register your boat" button displayed right under your certification number if you need to register or renew your vessel for the current calendar year.

[the_eagle]

well people these are OUR elected legislators who put these laws on the books...either call them and complain and / or vote them out of office
! i do agree this has gotten WAY out of hand .

[AIS_krystal]

Hello, my name is Krystal Tucker and I work at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in the AIS section of Law Enforcement. A friend brought this post to my attention and I'd like to clear up some of the confusion surrounding our process. The way AIS fees were collected changed last year due to legislative law after the Coast Guard stopped multiple state agencies from wrapping AIS fees into DMV registrations for boats. Now, the DWR collects the AIS money separately from your boat registration.

The AIS annual exam and decal are good from Jan 1-Dec 31 of each year and are separate from your DMV registration tags, meaning that if you wished to boat on a waterbody now, you'd need to do the exam and pay the fee and receive your paperwork. There is a lag time between getting your decal through the mail, so your registration paperwork is your proof of purchase (this can be as simple as a copy of the receipt from the registration placed in your towing vehicle's dash and a screenshot of the receipt on your cell phone while you are recreating in the boat).

The annual exam and registration fee with decal is only applicable to motorized boats (not kayaks, paddleboards, or anything else without any type of motor attached) and is applicable to both residents and non-residents.

The reason why you have to have the registration receipt in your dash is to fulfill a separate law which states you must show proof of clean, drained, dry in the windshield of your towing vehicle. That has existed for multiple years and was achieved in the past by the single certificate forms we provided at the launch ramp areas or the (then optional) AIS awareness annual exam. That law didn't change and is still required.

Now, your registration receipt (which you can only receive by taking the now required annual exam) is your proof of clean, drain, dry of your boat. We wish to reduce the amount of paperwork you need to show which is why the decal is now required to be affixed to your boat. We would like to still see your annual exam and your registration receipt displayed in the dash, you may black out any personal information other than your full name and boat BOW number (such as your address or phone number).

I understand the confusion a new program can bring, and hope this helps to clear up any confusion. We at DWR are doing our best to quickly and efficiently bring this program up to speed with accurate and clear information. The confusion in this thread on certain portions of the process will be brought to my team's attention for remediation and I appreciate the honest feedback.

I understand this is very burdensome and was easier when it was captured in the DMV registration page. We appreciate the public's support and compliance as quagga and zebra mussels are a horribly invasive species that create fiscal and economic havoc in waterbodies and municipal water sources, and no one wants those to spread in Utah's waters.

Please see the following hyperlink for more information:  https://stdofthesea.utah.gov/

Feel free to private message me if you have further questions or concerns, and I can monitor this post thread as well. If I missed any questions, feel free to contact me.

Thank you for the opportunity,

Krystal

[fishskibum]

I'm a float tuber...not a boater...and I only fish a few Wasatch Front waters each year.  But I get to pay the same registration (and now AIS) amount as a tricked out super boat...just because i have an ELECTRIC motor on my tube. I figure I am paying the full cost of my motor about every two years.  You boaters should be glad you don't have proportionate fees.

on the opposite end
after 23 seasons of rowing the same driftboat and not needing a motor
im rowing an essentially free boat
the joys and advantages of living simply

there are times that i feel a motor or lectronics might result in better catching but then i remember the hdt wisdom of
"many men and  women fish their whole life's without realizing it wasnt fish they were after"
While im not saying non motorized personal watercraft shouldnt take proper precautions from being part of the problem
every dnr person at every boat check stations  in every state ive been to admits they neither caused nor are really exasperating the problem
so its fair that they bear less of the cost of prevention

[dubob]

I am also anticipating a raise in prices from the DMV for all boats to make up for the $ they no longer get. Probably be a % increase based on value of the boat.

The $10 fee added to your DMV boat registration fee a couple years back never went to the DMV.  It was put in a separate AIS account.  The DMV is not impacted one way or the other by this latest change.