Boat Ramps & Permit Requirements

Enabling Legislation & Enforcement

 Caroline County Code Chapter 148 requires a boat trailer permit for public landings under the jurisdiction of Caroline County local government. The permits can be purchased on an annual basis or on a temporary 24-hour period at private business locations and local government offices throughout the county.


Check out the Public Landing Guide for a summary of permit sale locations, 
 fees, and regulation requirements. 


Annual permits are not valid unless displayed on the driver’s side of the vehicle rear bumper or trailer tongue within 12” of the hitch. Temporary / Daily permits must be hung on the inside mirror facing the windshield.


If you have transported your boat to a ramp on-top-of or within your vehicle (i.e. a kayak or canoe within a truck bed or on the car roof on a rack), a boat ramp permit is not required. If you are transporting several kayaks or canoes on a boat trailer, a boat ramp permit is required.


Permit Prices

  • For all boat trailers or vehicles:
    • Annual Permit cost: $25
    • 24 hour temporary permit: $10
  • Note: The funds generated through the sale of boat ramp permits are retained in a dedicated account and used to maintain and improve the county and municipal boat ramp facilities (Denton and Greensboro). 

 

If You Get a Citation...

Citation tickets can be issued by Caroline County Parks staff, Caroline County Sheriff’s deputies, municipal police officers in Greensboro and Denton, and Caroline County Code Enforcement Officers. They may be issued for failure to properly display a boat ramp trailer permit, unauthorized use of a required permit, or parking or driving a vehicle in an unauthorized location.

First offense is a $50 fine; second offense if within one year, is $100.


If the fine is not paid within 20 days, the violation is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and a lien is placed on your license renewal. The license renewal is not issued by the state until local violations and the associated additional administrative costs are paid.


We don’t like to issue citations as much as our ramp users do not like to pay them. We issue them out of respect for those that display the ramp permit on the vehicle and trailers used to transport their trailered boats.


Public Boat Ramp Launching Locations that require Trailer Permits