Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Enforcement

The boating laws of North Carolina are enforced by the wildlife enforcement officers of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, officers of the Department of Environment and National Resources, U.S. Coast Guard officers, and any other authorized law enforcement officer.

• Officers have the authority to stop and board your vessel in order to check that you are complying with state and federal laws.
• It is illegal to refuse to follow the directive of a person with law enforcement authority. An operator who has received a visual or audible signal from a law enforcement officer must bring his or her vessel to a stop.

Officers of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Coast Guard officers, and any other authorized law enforcement officer have the authority to stop and board your vessel in order to check that you are complying with state and federal laws.