KRS 235.280: Regulation of use of waters -- Prohibitions related to wakeboats and

wakesports.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the commissioner of the

department, with approval of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Commission, shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS

Chapter 13A to govern the fair, reasonable, equitable, and safe use of all waters of

this state and otherwise to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(2) Notwithstanding any provisio n of law to the contrary, the department shall not

promulgate or enforce any administrative regulation that:

(a) Prohibits, restricts, or limits using wakeboats or engaging in wakesports on

bodies of water where wakeboats were allowed to engage in wakespor ts as of

December 1, 2025; or

(b) Imposes a wakeboat zone or prescribes mandatory setbacks or distances from

shorelines, commercials docks, or moorage harbors.

(3) As used in this section:

(a) "Hydrofoil" means a vessel that consists of a board fitted with a mast

extending below the board that is attached to a fuselage with a forward wing

and a rear stabilizer;

(b) "Wakeboat" means a motorboat that has one (1) or more ballast tanks, ballast

bags, or other devices or design features that increase the size of the

motorboat's wake; and

(c) "Wakesports" means operating a wakeboat or to use a surfboard, wakeboard,

hydrofoil, or similar device to ride on or ride in the wake of the wakeboat.