League City eases liveaboard rules

League City City Council on May 12 gave preliminary approval to changes that would ease parts of its liveaboard boat ordinance while keeping a city permit system in place. The amendments followed months of complaints from boat residents after the council adopted stricter marina rules in December 2025. The revised measure drops mandatory inspections, removes the requirement for permit decals and softens insurance rules, according to Community Impact. The proposal still needs a second vote before it takes effect. ### Which parts of the liveaboard ordinance did League City change? Community Impact reported on May 13 that the council amended the ordinance to eliminate mandatory inspections for liveaboard vessels. The revised language also removed the requirement that permit holders display decals and changed insurance provisions that had drawn objections from residents. (communityimpact.com) The December 2025 ordinance had required people living on boats for more than 10 consecutive days in a 30-day period to obtain a liveaboard permit, according to Houston Public Media. That earlier version also allowed city inspections and required owners to keep logs covering sanitation activity and maintenance or operational issues. (communityimpact.com) ### What new marina requirement did the council add? The May 12 amendments paired looser rules for residents with a new waste-disposal requirement for marinas. Community Impact said the revised ordinance requires marinas to provide either a pump-out station or mobile pump-out service. (houstonpublicmedia.org) Mayor Nick Long said in an October 2025 city video that League City had been trying to address derelict and abandoned watercraft that officials viewed as safety hazards in local waterways. That earlier city explanation focused on inoperable and neglected boats, a concern that helped shape the original ordinance debate. ### Why were liveaboard residents pushing for changes? (communityimpact.com) Houston Public Media reported in December that residents objected to the original permit system because it gave the city inspection authority over boats used as homes. Community Impact’s May 11 preview said opponents had continued to argue the rules were intrusive and overly broad ahead of this week’s council meeting. (leaguecitytx.gov) Community Impact reported on May 13 that some residents called the latest revisions progress but said they still opposed the need for permits and continued city oversight. Their objections remained centered on privacy, cost and the city’s role in regulating people living at marinas. (houstonpublicmedia.org) ### How far does this go toward undoing the 2025 rules? The May 12 action was not the final repeal of the liveaboard framework. Community Impact said the city kept the permit requirement even as it removed several of the most disputed provisions. The original ordinance passed in December 2025 after public debate over safety and environmental enforcement, according to Houston Public Media and other local coverage. (communityimpact.com) The latest vote appears to narrow that ordinance rather than scrap it altogether. That is an inference based on the reported changes and the continued permit requirement. ### When will the council take the final vote? League City’s public calendar lists the next City Council meeting for May 26, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at 200 West Walker in League City. Community Impact reported that the liveaboard amendments require a final vote at a later meeting. Council meetings are broadcast on Comcast Cable Channel 16 and streamed by the city, according to League City’s council meetings page. (houstonpublicmedia.org) The May 26 meeting is the next scheduled step for residents, marina operators and city officials following the council’s preliminary approval. (leaguecitytx.gov) (leaguecitytx.gov)