Does your boat have a sticker?

• AIS Laws Sticker

AIS Laws Sticker

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Here's another item that boaters should add to their checklists before heading out on the water: A sticker.

The stickers - which are free - explain Minnesota's new rules targeting the spread of aquatic invasive species.

The stickers are not required by law - yet.

There is no penalty in effect right now, but conservation officers can issue a warning for not displaying the decal.

After August 1, 2014, it will be a petty misdemeanor for boaters who fail to display the decal on their watercraft.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the stickers, also called decals, are available from:

• DNR offices.

• Deputy registrar offices where licenses are sold.

• Large sporting goods shops.

• DNR watercraft inspectors and conservation officers.

The stickers may be a little hard to find. Christopherson Bait in Alexandria, for instance, had about 100 of them and they quickly ran out. It received more but the supply was dwindling Wednesday; it expects to receive more soon.

The stickers will also be included in envelopes with new and renewal watercraft licenses mailed from the DNR.

The stickers should be attached to all types of watercraft including canoes, kayaks and duck boats before launching on, entering into, or operating on any Minnesota waters.

The two-piece, gray-and-black stickers detail new state laws that watercraft users must follow in order to avoid spreading aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and spiny waterfleas.

The stickers must be attached to the watercraft, but state law does not specify where that must occur. DNR officials recommend displaying it where it can be read and can be shown to an officer upon request.

However, the decal does not need to be in view of the operator (as is the case with the state's personal watercraft decal), and it does not need to be placed near the watercraft registration decals.

If a watercraft owner does not want to stick the decal on the boat because it is an antique wooden boat or other unique boat, the decal can be attached or laminated to an object like a luggage tag and kept in the boat.

There are two parts to the stickers.

Watercraft owners and operators must display the top portion of the decal on all watercraft prior to launching on, entering into, or operating on any waters of Minnesota.

The second portion is intended to be placed on the winch post of watercraft trailers or in another area to remind boaters to remove the boat's drain plug when leaving a water access area as required by state law.

It also reminds boaters to replace the plug before launching.

More information about aquatic invasive species laws is available at http://www. dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic_qa.html.

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