A float plan is a written record of a boating trip, and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission publishes its own version, printed on the form as the Courtesy Float Plan. You complete it before going boating and leave it with a reliable person, who then knows your boat, who is aboard, where you are going and whom to call if you do not return. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the agency publishes the original PDF at the address linked here.
Last updated
What is Float Plan – Pennsylvania?
The Float Plan, printed on the form as the Courtesy Float Plan, is a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) form on which a boater writes down the details of a planned trip, so that a reliable person holds that information while the boater is on the water.
The form is a single page divided into eight numbered sections:
-
- Contact: name, address, phone and e-mail.
-
- Boat Description: type, color, length, registration number and the kind of craft (inboard, outboard, sail, canoe/kayak/SUP or other).
-
- People Onboard: a name and phone number for each person.
-
- Radio: whether you carry a CB or a VHF radio.
-
- Automobile: make/model, color, license plate number and where it is parked.
-
- Trip Information: where and when you leave and where and when you return.
-
- Stops: location and time for planned stops.
-
- Emergency Contact: the date and time after which that person should act if you have not returned, plus the person's name, relationship and phone.
The form carries the footer "Pennsylvania Boating Handbook fishandboat.com". It is a courtesy document: it is completed and left with someone you trust, and the printed text does not describe any filing with the PFBC.
Who needs to file Float Plan – Pennsylvania?
The Float Plan is for boaters who want someone on shore to know their trip details. The form says to complete it before going boating and to leave it with a reliable person.
The craft types printed in section 2 show who it is designed for: boats with an inboard or outboard motor, sailboats, and canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUP), with an Other option for anything else.
- The boat owner or trip organizer usually completes it, since it asks for the boat's registration number, the people onboard and the planned route.
- The reliable person who receives it is the one you contact when you return, as the form instructs.
- Each person onboard is listed with a name and phone number in section 3.
The form itself prints no eligibility rule, no exclusion and no legal requirement to use it; it is presented as a courtesy plan. Section 5 applies only if you travel to the launch by automobile, and section 4 only records whether you have a CB or VHF radio aboard.
When to file Float Plan – Pennsylvania
Complete the Float Plan before you go boating, then leave it with a reliable person. The form states this at the top, and it adds that when you return you should remember to contact that person.
The dates and times you write in section 6 (leaving and returning) and in section 8 (the date and time after which the emergency contact should act if you have not returned) set the timeline for each trip, so the plan is completed again for each new outing. The form prints no other deadline, validity period or renewal cycle, and it is not filed on a due date with the agency.
How to fill out Float Plan – Pennsylvania
Enter your contact person
In section 1, Contact, write the Name, Address, Phone and E-mail of the reliable person who will hold the plan.
Describe your boat
In section 2, enter the boat Type, Color, Length and Registration Number. Under Choose one, select Inboard, Outboard, Sail, Canoe/kayak/SUP or Other.
List everyone onboard
In section 3, People Onboard, write the name and phone number of each person who will be on the boat.
Mark your radios
In section 4, Radio, answer Yes or No for CB and Yes or No for VHF.
Add your vehicle details
In section 5, Automobile, enter the Make/Model, Color, License Plate Number and where the vehicle is Parked at.
Fill in the trip information
In section 6, enter Leaving From with its Date and Time, and Returning To with its Date and Time.
Record your planned stops
In section 7, Stops, give the location and time for each stop, from Stop 1 to Stop 4.
Set the emergency contact deadline
In section 8, enter the Date and Time after which the contact should act if you have not returned, then the Name/Relationship and Phone of that person.
Review and download the PDF
Check every section against your actual trip, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and leave it with your reliable person before you go boating.
How to submit Float Plan – Pennsylvania
The Float Plan is not mailed or uploaded to the PFBC. The form's instruction is to leave the completed plan with a reliable person before you go boating.
- Hand it to a reliable person: give them the completed plan, printed or as a file, before you leave.
- Contact them on return: the form tells you to contact that person when you return, so they know the trip has ended.
- Emergency contact: section 8 names the person to reach, with a phone number, and the date and time after which they should act if you have not returned.
The form prints no mailing address, portal or fee, and it names no other recipient. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the instruction above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filling out the plan after you have already left instead of before going boating, so nobody holds it while you are on the water.
- Completing the plan but not leaving it with a reliable person.
- Forgetting to contact that person when you return, which the form specifically reminds you to do.
- Marking more than one craft type in section 2, where the form says to choose one.
- Leaving out the emergency contact date and time in section 8, so the contact does not know when to act if you have not returned.
- Omitting the boat's registration number or the license plate number and parking location of the vehicle in section 5.
- Not listing each person onboard with a phone number in section 3.
- Skipping the stops in section 7 or giving no times, so the route cannot be checked against the plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a float plan?
A float plan is a written record of a boating trip that you leave with a reliable person. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's version, the Courtesy Float Plan, records your boat, who is aboard, your radios, vehicle, route, stops and an emergency contact.
Who do I give the float plan to?
Give it to a reliable person before you go boating. The form says to complete the information and leave it with that person, and to contact them when you return. It does not name an agency office as the recipient.
Do I send the float plan to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission?
No address or portal for the agency is printed on the form. Its instruction is to leave the completed plan with a reliable person, so the plan stays with someone you trust rather than being sent to the PFBC.
When should I fill out a float plan?
Before each trip. The form says to complete it before going boating, with the leaving and returning dates and times for that trip, and to contact your reliable person when you return.
What information does the float plan ask for?
Eight sections: contact, boat description, people onboard, radio (CB and VHF), automobile, trip information, up to four stops, and an emergency contact with the date and time to act if you have not returned.
Does the float plan cover kayaks and paddleboards?
Yes. Section 2 offers a Canoe/kayak/SUP option alongside Inboard, Outboard, Sail and Other. Choose the one that fits your craft, since the form says to choose one.
What is the emergency contact section for?
Section 8 tells your contact when to act. You enter the date and time by which you should have returned, and the contact's name and relationship to you and phone number.
Can I fill out the float plan online?
You can fill out the float plan online on FillingPDF and download or print the PDF. FillingPDF is an independent service, not affiliated with the PFBC, and does not send the plan to anyone; you hand it to your reliable person.
Ready to fill out Float Plan – Pennsylvania?
Fill out Float Plan – Pennsylvania now