Alachua County is reminding airboat users that the County’s nighttime airboat curfew, Section 114.09 of the Alachua County Code, prohibits the operation of airboats from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The curfew applies to all waters within Alachua County, even if a boater launches from a neighboring County. For example, all airboat users in Orange Lake and Santa Fe Lake are subject to the curfew (regardless of where the boat launches from).
The only exceptions to the curfew are for government airboats operated in the line of duty by authorized personnel and private airboats authorized by law enforcement personnel during specific emergency incidents.
A recent amendment to the ordinance now allows any Alachua County Codes Enforcement Officer, in addition to law enforcement officers, to enforce the curfew. Targeted patrols to monitor compliance may occur at any time.
Citizens can report curfew violations to the Combined Communications Center at 352-955-1818.
For more information, contact Alachua County Parks and Conservation Land Director Charlie Houder at 352-264-6804 or chouder@alachuacounty.us.