Back in May 2025 the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners made the unanimous decision to withdraw from the current Lake Norman Marine Commission thus dissolving it. The primary reason for doing so was the lack of authority this commission held. On June 26th 2025 the N.C. General Assembly ratified house bill 23 which introduces a new Lake Norman Marine Commission with the authority to effectuate more change with the backing of N.C. law. This bill was a joint effort led by several key members of N.C. Senate, House of Representatives and County Commissioners from Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell and Mecklenburg Counties.
Each participating county (Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Mecklenburg) will appoint two members, and there will be one “at large” commissioner appointed for a group consisting of 9 total members. Each county will have equal authority and responsibility regarding the commission. Our own Lincoln County Commissioner Bud Cesena was a driving force in the project, from maintaining county coordination to helping establish safety protocols for the bill. Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Mullen also had a hand in helping shape the bill through working with NC legislators.
So what does the new organization mean for lake front property owners and those who enjoy the lake recreationally?
The LNMC now has authority to require permits for certain “privileged or special uses” of the lake or shoreline. While general property use isn’t affected, this could apply to things like special events, dock construction or modification, large scale vegetation clearing and shoreline alteration. Property owners may be subject to fees for permits, though the law caps those fees to the actual cost of providing the service.
For boaters born on or after January 1st 1988 the biggest change comes in the form of a required boater safety course that will have to be completed by anyone operating a motorized watercraft of 20 horse power or more. The commission also now has the ability to regulate things such as jet skis, navigational zones, speed restrictions, public safety and recreational use.
These rules can be enforced by local law enforcement or special officers hired by the Commission. Officers will now have expanded cross-county authority to patrol the lake and pursue violations beyond their home jurisdictions. Violation of any regulation of the Commission commanding or prohibiting an act will result in a class 3 misdemeanor and be subject to a fine between $200-$500.
The commission will be able to collect fees but for only specific purposes; such as the above mentioned safety course, special use permits and use of LNMC facilities. However they are subject to keeping fees from exceeding the actual cost of service provided. The bill does ban charging for general lake access. Each year by January 31st the commission is to produce a publicly available and auditable report of all fee collections and funding from other sources.
Part 5 of HB 23 covers much more including requirements for who can serve on the commission, environmental oversight, safety standards etc…
Lake Norman will be seeing major changes with this new commission.
House Bill 23 can be viewed here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2025/Bills/House/PDF/H23v5.pdf
The LNMC portion starts on page 2.
