The Cotton Bayou public beach boardwalk in Orange Beach. Due to the influx of new businesses using Orange Beach's public boat launches, the city has instituted a six-month moratorium on new marine businesses. The city of Orange Beach has stopped issuing commercial vessel licenses and other maritime businesses temporarily, in an effort to figure out how to handle the influx of new vessels on the water caused in part by the city’s growth.
In June, the Orange Beach City Council issued a six-month moratorium on any new commercial vessel licenses or licenses for commercial maritime activity, including charter fishing, water taxis, parasailing and other marine businesses. The ordinance was amended in July and is expected to expire in December.