Spending More Than 30 Days on a Boat in Georgia: ILLEGAL
People find a lot of creative ways to live. Some people live on the open road, while others build themselves extraordinary homes. Have you ever heard of the old woman who lived in the shoe? Though there are a million different ways to live in the State of Georgia, one way has been expressly forbidden: living on a boat.
In 1992, the Georgia legislature made it illegal to spend more than 30 days on a boat in one calendar year. Run-down floating houses along the Altamaha River were the impetus of this legislation; residents found these houseboats ugly and were concerned about their effect on the environment.
For years after its passage, the live-aboard law made a lot of boat enthusiasts upset. It was especially tough for boaters from Florida who sailed north to escape hurricanes. Many of these people sailed straight through to South Carolina, where there were no such live-aboard restrictions.
Also, there was the issue of how to enforce this law. Would police officers have to watch all boats and make sure their owners got off within 30 days? Even if Georgia had the greatest police force on the planet, they probably wouldn’t dedicate precious resources to enforcing such a benign misdemeanor.
Because of this silly law, many people in the Southeast began to see Georgia as an unfriendly place for boaters. In 2011, the Georgia legislature eventually bowed to pressure from boating enthusiasts and relaxed the law to 90 days. While it’s a step in the right direction, you still can’t build that Chattahoochee River palace you were dreaming of.
Though it’s fun to laugh at other states, Arizona has plenty of its own questionable laws. If you believe you have been unjustly charged with a crime, consider enlisting the help of Janet Altschuler, a skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer in Tucson.
This article is part of a collection of The Most Ridiculous Laws in the United States! Some of these laws are downright hard to believe. Do you know what might be illegal in your state?
