Officials issue warning to owners of unregistered houseboats in La.

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Owners of unregistered houseboats in Louisiana are being warned to get them registered or removed.

The warning is coming from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. According to the agency, agents are patrolling for unregistered houseboats and are tracking down owners.

Owners who refuse to get a houseboat removed or registered with LDWF will face a citation, a spokesperson with the agency said. That person added that anyone with information about owners of unregistered houseboats can contact officials by calling the number 1-800-442-2511.

Unregistered houseboats have a higher chance of becoming abandoned and can pose a safety hazard to boaters, officials said. They added that the vessels can become difficult to see at night and can lead to a trail of debris.

Regulations requiring owners to register a houseboat with LDWF have been in place since 2019. Once you get a houseboat registered, you will get a copy of it through the mail. Click here to get a houseboat registered.

LDWF defines houseboats as “any vessel constructed or utilized for the primary purpose of a temporary or permanent dwelling without an effective means of propulsion for safe navigation.” Officials said that when assessing whether a vessel meets the definition of a houseboat, they will “utilize the standard such that a reasonable observer would conclude that the vessel is capable of being used as an abode, habitation, or dwelling for at least a temporary basis.”

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