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Water Usage Stamps for Illinois small watercraft.


Dick G

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I have a canoe and 2 kayaks that all have up to date Illinois registration stickers that have a year left. Do I have to buy new $6 Water Usage Stamps that are now available to stay legal, or can I wait until my current stickers expire next year?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another new wrinkle to boat registration in Illinois. As of April 2013 The IDNR is no longer sending a notice by mail to renew your registration for a motor powered watercraft. It is up to you to renew when the registration expires. I thought my renewal form was just late.The DNR was out checking boats this weekend on central Illinois lakes. A lot of people had expired tags that ended on June 30th ( including mine). If you go online you can renew immediately and print out a temporary permit that makes you legal. Allow up to 10 weeks to get your new sticker. While checking your boat's registration, there will be an inspection for proper life jackets, horn, paddle, lights and fire extinguisher, as well as impaired drivers.

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Make sure to get the instruction sheet. You can not affix the stamp to your craft without the instruction sheet. There is an adhesive with the instruction sheet that transfers to the stamp to make it adhere to your craft. You can not put the stamp on your craft without it.

Tim G did not get the instruction sheet and now here's trying to get a hold of Jude to borrow his duct tape.

Be sure to get the instruction sheet when purchasing your stamp.

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I bought stickers for both of my kayaks at Gander Mountain in Geneva yesterday. Note: only register # 1 has access to the IDNR computer system.

 

I had the list from kayakcrazy.com printed out with all my info and boat info and handed it to the cashier. She was super thankful and it expedited the process. As Bill Chase said, having your IDNR customer # from your fishing license is the quickest way for them to look you up in the database.

 

The whole thing took only a few minutes and my two large hunks of molded plastic are now legal. Woohoo!!!

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Hey as long as the money stays in the hands of the DNR an is used responsibly and efficiently and not stuck in someone's pocket I think it's a good idea. I could care less if the tubers like it or not. Many of them litter and are obnoxiously drunk and cause problems. If it prevents some of them from going then so be it.

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  • 9 months later...

Hey as long as the money stays in the hands of the DNR an is used responsibly and efficiently and not stuck in someone's pocket I think it's a good idea.

 

 

Responsibly and efficiently ... in Illinois? ;-)

 

I just hope my two boat sticker dollars didn't go to pay the $90,000+ salary of that deputy director of the IL DNR who was able to take 2 1/2 months off to fish the Pro Bass tour.

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  • 1 month later...

With the late start to the season due to the long winter, don't forget to get a new watercraft sticker. The 2013 sticker expired. Your boat has to show a 2014 sticker. I got caught off guard Memorial Day weekend. It was the first time I took the kayak out this year and I thought "oh crap, my sticker expired!" I thought it was good for a few years but nope, I was wrong. Luckily Gander Mountain was open and I renewed it on the way to the river.

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Another thing, the DNR no longer mails out power boat registration renewal forms. You have to notice when your stickers expire. Right now, they are so far behind sending the stickers out, they tell you to write down the transaction number you got when you pay online and carry it with you in case you get stopped.

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I would like to also suggest that you hold on to the little info sheet that proves you purchased a sticker, keep it with you fishing license.

My 2014 stick on my yak has already faded to the point that it's unreadable. They need to work on that problem.

Also make sure when you get your sticker to get the instruction booklet. You kind of need it, right Tim?

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Two years in a row they failed to give me the adhesive. This year I had to go to three stores before any one knew what I was talking about.

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  • 9 months later...

Friendly reminder...

 

Don't forget to check the expiration date on your craft's registration sticker. If you're currently displaying a 14 sticker, you're probably expired.

 

You can purchase a new sticker for $6.50 at the customer service register at places like Gander Mountain, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc. Be sure to have your craft's hull ID # with you. Best bet is to give the clerk your IDNR customer number (found on your fishing license), have them look you up in the system, and start there.

 

If you have all your info ready, the process takes 5 minutes or less.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm in the same boat you are Eric. Went with clear packing tape. They (the powers at be) need to get this stuff figured out!

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