AN ACT to Prohibit Wake surfing within two hundred feet of the shoreline, structures, Certain other watercraft, and Swimmers.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 1 of Chapter 75A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 75A‑13.4.  No wake surfing within 200 feet of shoreline, structures, other watercraft, or swimmers.

(a)        No person may engage in wake surfing within 200 feet of the shoreline or any structure, moored vessel, kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or swimmer. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) in addition to any other punishment prescribed for that offense.

(b)        For purposes of this section, wake surfing means the operation of a motorboat to which weight has been added in the stern via water‑filled tanks or other ballasts for the purpose of creating an artificially enlarged wake that is or is intended to be surfed by another person behind the motorboat.

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2026, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.