Boat inspection information
Be a County V.I.P.
All watercraft from permissible areas, including but not limited to, power boats, personal watercraft, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, and fishing float tubes will be subject to inspection.
Be prepared for inspection by having your vessel CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY.
CLEAN off visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud from all equipment before leaving water access.
- Wash the hull of your vessel thoroughly
- Rinse interior compartments of boats
- Flush motor for 2 minutes (or according to owner’s manual)
- Inspect all exposed surfaces – small mussels feel like sandpaper to the touch
DRAIN motor, bilge, livewell, and other water containing devices before leaving water access.
DRY everything for at least five days OR wipe with a towel before reuse.
Vessels must be dry BEFORE arriving for inspection. If you are seen drying your vessel on Park property you will fail inspection.
- Pull all drain plugs
- Lower motor to ensure all parts are dry before re-raising
Inspection failures
Your vessel will fail inspection if:
- any water is observed anywhere.
- any aquatic weed or algae is present on your vessel.
- any mud, dirt, or debris is present on your vessel.
- your vessel previously launched in positive/banned waters.
- your vessel is from out-of-state.
Inspection failure will result in a 5-day or 30-quarantine.
Tampered bands and illegal launches
Tampered seals/bands will result in a 30-Day ban from launching at County reservoirs and lakes.
Boats that illegally launch, either bypassing inspection or launching from anywhere in the park besides the launch ramp, will be issued a citation for a 30-day ban from launching at County Reservoirs and lakes.
Repeated violations of County ordinances and/or illegal launches may result in a lifetime ban from launching in County reservoirs and lakes.
V.I.P. Banding Program
If your vessel passes inspection, it will be issued a Day Band BEFORE it enters the water. This band is attached in an obvious and secure location so Park Rangers can easily see it.
Exit Bands can be applied to your secured/trailered vehicle at your request. A properly applied, non-tampered Santa Clara County Exit Band allows the boater to waive an inspection prior to launch at County reservoirs on their next visit.
All band numbers are recorded along with the CF# or License Plate number for verification when returning to the water.
Exit Bands must be applied to permanently secure the vessel to the trailer so that it is not possible for the two to become detached. Vessels with broken or missing Exit Bands must be inspected before reentering the water.
Quagga mussels and wet weather policy
Learn more about the quagga and zebra mussel threat at the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife Quagga and Zebra Mussel website.
The future of boating in Santa Clara County waterways depends on your cooperation and support.
Please keep our waters clean and accessible.
We strongly encourage boaters to get their boat inspected and banded prior to wet weather to ensure that their vessel is able to launch on a rainy day.
To facilitate boating when pre-banding is not feasible, inspectors may allow a launch of an un-banded boat if the following conditions are met:
- The boat must arrive covered
- The interior of the boat must be completely dry under the cover
- When the outboard is lowered for inspection, no water flows out
- The exterior of the boat must be clean (i.e.: no mud, vegetation or rough services that may be microscopic quagga or zebra mussels),
- In the inspector's opinion the only exterior wetness appears to be road splash and/or rainwater.
Please be aware, it is at the inspector's discretion about whether an un-banded boat may launch on a rainy day and that decision is final. Although an inspector may allow a covered boat to launch, there is a chance a boater may be denied a launch based on the inspector's observations.
Meet the Mussel Dogs
The Mussel Dogs are specially trained canines that can sniff out quagga and zebra mussels even when they are not visible to the human eye! The Mussel Dogs can be seen working at Calero and Coyote on weekends and holidays during boating season (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
Watch Nemo detect quagga and zebra mussels on a kayak at Stevens Creek, signaling that the vessel is not safe to launch.