Berkeley Lake Homeowners Association

Boat Registration

boats at the beach

In order to register your boat, or small watercraft, please follow these steps. Email the administrator with a description of your watercraft. For small watercraft, please indicate the type such as kayak, or paddleboard, and the color of each. For large watercraft, please indicate the type such as pontoon boat, color, length, and HP if there is a motor.

The administrator will contact you with a 4-digit code to use at payment. To pay online, please go to our payment page and click on the item you wish to register. If you wish to pay by check, please send payment to:

BLHA
PO Box 232
Duluth, GA 30096-0004

Once payment is received, your watercraft will be registered with the BLHA and you will receive your BLHA license stickers with instructions on where to place them on your watercraft.

Storage racks for small watercraft are provided by BLHA for members for a yearly fee of $50. They are located at the beach and chapel picnic grounds area. This fee is in addition to the annual watercraft fee of $25. Currently, there is a waiting list for these storage racks, but plans are in progress for building additional storage. If you wish to rent a storage rack (2 max per family), please contact the administrator.

BLHA now has two types of boat registration: Large Craft Registration at $25 or Small Craft Registration at $10. The registration fee is a one-time fee. There is an annual $25 watercraft fee that covers all boats that you have registered. If it floats and moves around the lake, you need a registration sticker/number and must pay the annual watercraft fee. If you have a boat without a registration sticker please see the information below.

  1. The large craft registration is $25 (you will receive one BLHA sticker to apply to the outside of your boat near the captain’s chair).
    1. Pontoon boats
    2. Runabouts
    3. Fishing boats
    4. Sailboats
    5. Any boat that is powered by fuel, electric or wind
    6. Any boat that does not meet the criteria for a Non-Powered registration
  2. Small craft registration ($10) is for boats that are powered by human power only. If your boat is already registered, you do not need to re-register or change stickers. You will receive one registration sticker for these boats. Please put in a visible location.
    1. Canoes
    2. Kayaks (this includes smaller sized kayaks and kid kayaks)
    3. Paddleboards
    4. Peddle boats
    5. Inflatable boats and boards
  3. Electric surfboards and eFoils are not permitted on the lake and therefore cannot be registered. While these watercrafts do not create wakes, they are difficult and not intended to operate at speeds below 5 mph and do not align with our leisure water sports and safety protocols.

Boating Rules

  • All boats must be licensed by the BLHA.
  • All persons operating boats on Berkeley Lake must first obtain a BLHA license sticker and registration numbers from the administrator.
  • All watercraft must be registered with the BLHA and must display a BLHA registration sticker. Contact the administrator to register a watercraft and obtain the stickers. Canoes, paddle boats and kayaks are considered watercraft and must be registered. Inflatable devices are not considered watercraft unless they are motorized.
  • Boat licenses will only be issued for boats which are owned by current members of the BLHA or deed covenant property owners. The license is not transferable. If a boat is obtained which already has a license, the administrator must be informed and an additional $25 fee will be collected. Canoes are boats and must also be licensed at $10.
  • Pontoon boat dimensions may not exceed 28′ x 10′. All other motorized boats may not exceed 18 feet in length.
  • NO WAKE at any time. The maximum permitted speed is 5 MPH. Do not drive between the roped off area and swim platforms when swimmers are in the water; stay to the right or left of these areas for the safety of our members.
  • The BLHA complies with the Coast Guard requirements of at least one Coast Guard approved life preserver for each occupant of the boat at all times when operating on the lake.
  • Towing persons or objects behind a boat on the lake constitutes reckless operation of a craft and may be punishable by revoking the license to operate a boat on Lake Berkeley. An exception to this rule is another boat in distress and requiring assistance.
  • When a boat is bought or sold, please inform the administrator for the purpose of updating records.
  • Deed covenant property owners who are not BLHA members are limited to 5 horsepower motors by their own deed covenants – BLHA reserves the right to enforce those covenants.
  • The BLHA complies with the Coast Guard requirements for watercraft operated on the Berkeley Lake. For further details consider reviewing the US Coast Guard website at www.uscgboating.org. Listed below is a subset of the items for watercraft
    • All boats must have approved life preserver for each occupant of the boat at all times when operating on the lake.
    • All boats with a gas engine must have a marine type fire extinguisher.
    • All boats with a gas engine must have functional navigation lights
    • All boats with a gas engine must have a throwable floating device

Note: GA law which is enforced on nearby lakes require all boaters under the age of 13 to wear a PFD, while this is not enforced on Berkeley Lake it is a good guideline to be cognizant of.