Over the years, some states in New England have changed the game in order to take your money before you’re allowed to take a boat on freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, etc. Maine has been doing it for a while for out-of-state registered boaters, but they’ve continued to increase the price. What was a $15 sticker 10-15 years ago has risen to an absurd $60 for the 2025 season. Whether you like it or not, it’s needed if your vessel is not registered in Maine. If you registered your boat in Maine, the cost is baked into boat registration so nothing additional is needed.
New Hampshire has now jumped on the bandwagon of figuring out how to line their pockets via boaters that aren’t registered in their own state by implementing a new 2025 Aquatic Invasive Species Sticker requirement, which costs… wouldn’t you know it… $15… if your boat is NOT registered in New Hampshire. Live free or Die, I guess? I’d be curious to see the trend of cost increase on this one in 5 years… Again, if you registered your boat in NH, nothing additional is needed as it is now baked into boat registration. For out-of-staters, go pay your damn fee and bend the knee to the man!
HOW DO YOU PURCHASE – NEW HAMPSHIRE
From the NHDES Website, here is some additional info:
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is reminding all persons operating a motorboat on New Hampshire public waters that is registered in another state (other than New Hampshire) of a new requirement to purchase and display a New Hampshire aquatic invasive species decal from NHDES. The new law (RSA 487:43) went into effect on July 1, 2019.
Decals can be purchased online for $20 each. You can purchase decals online at NHDES Invasive Species webpage or by clicking the following link that goes directly to the form to fill out:
The decal must be displayed within 3 inches of a boat’s valid registration decal. Decals should be placed on the port side of the vessel. Decals expire on December 31 each year. Proceeds from the decal program will be used for prevention and management of invasive aquatic species in New Hampshire.
For more information, please contact Amy Smagula at amy.p.smagula@des.nh.gov or (603) 271-2248.
HOW DO YOU PURCHASE – MAINE
For the great state of Maine, get ready to pay a whopping $60 for a sticker… from the formal website:
If you register your boat in Maine, the stickers are included as part of the Maine watercraft registration, and the $25 cost is combined with the watercraft registration fee – see boat registration fees. Also see where you can register your boat.
The cost of a sticker for a non-Maine registered watercraft is $60 ($59 for sticker, $1 processing fee). Stickers are available at select agents throughout the state, see below. If you are unable to visit an agent or the MDIFW headquarters in Augusta, you may purchase a sticker by ordering it online using the link below. Please plan for two weeks processing time to receive your stickers if submitting the form by email and 30 days if submitting by mail. Once your transaction is processed, you will receive a confirmation email which you should keep with you until your stickers arrive in the mail. Once your stickers arrive, they should be affixed to your vessel. For more information, please contact MDIFW at (207) 287-8000.
The PDF form has emailing instructions included in it to order by email or fax, etc. Check the form for additional details.
Once all that is done, save your receipts and wait for your stickers! Use your receipts (email or printed) as evidence of purchase if ever stopped by the Environmental Po-Po’s if you haven’t received your sticker yet and want to still get on the water. Rumor has it that they just want to see that they took your money and you should be good to go!
Cheers, happy boating in 2025! BE SAFE OUT THERE, FOLKS