How to Dispose of an Old or Derelict Boat in Florida

Three routes are worth checking: the state's turn-in program, the county and a yard that scraps boats.

The state

The Florida Vessel Turn-In Program, run by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), for an owner who has received a written citation or warning for an at-risk vessel. It is free to the owner when the vessel qualifies.

The county

Manatee County has its own rules and a page for reporting an abandoned vessel. Check with the county before you move a boat or leave it anywhere.

A yard that scraps boats

Blenker scraps boats and accepts derelict and non-running vessels. Call or send the form with the boat's length, type and where it sits for a quote.

The Florida Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) lets an owner who has received a written citation or warning for an at-risk vessel apply to have it removed from Florida waters and destroyed at no cost to the owner. FWC says the program pays the removal, destruction and disposal costs of eligible vessels.

Who can apply

Private citizens and businesses are eligible. The applicant must be the titled owner of the vessel.

The vessel

It must be free of all liens or other claims of ownership.

The citation

The owner has received a written citation or warning for the at-risk vessel.

The order

Removals go first come, first served. FWC accepts applications until the funding is used up or the program ends, whichever comes first.

These are FWC's own rules as its page read on October 10, 2026. Check the current FWC page before you rely on them.

Check Manatee County's boat-disposal requirements before taking a boat to the landfill. The county's website lists a Manatee 311 service for questions like this.

FWC says a derelict vessel is more expensive to remove and incurs criminal liability for the owner. Manatee County's Marine Resources Program says Ordinance 05-16 prohibits any person from willfully or intentionally leaving lost or abandoned vessels upon county waters and provides a means for their removal (both pages read October 10, 2026).

To report an abandoned vessel that is not yours, the county has a Report an Abandoned Vessel page.

A newer state law, Florida House Bill 1103 (Chapter 2026-36), took effect July 1, 2026. It lets a county or city adopt its own ordinance, subject to state wildlife-commission approval, for enforcing long-term-anchoring permits and rules on vessels at risk of becoming derelict. Whether Manatee County has adopted such an ordinance was not confirmed here: ask the county.

For the state program, FWC's application asks for proof of title naming the applicant, copies of any at-risk citations, a copy of a government-issued ID, photos of the vessel and a signed waiver and release form. An accepted applicant then mails the original title, marked JUNKED, to FWC.

For a yard, call with the boat's length, type and where it sits and ask which papers the office needs.

Send the boat's length, type, location and condition, and ask what paperwork the yard needs and what the job costs. Blenker accepts derelict and non-running vessels.

The state program is free to an owner whose vessel qualifies, according to FWC. For the Blenker yard, ask for a quote on your boat. For anything that involves the county, check with the county.