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Age Restrictions:
Any Person of age 14 years and older may
operate a personal watercraft.
You must be at least 18 years of age to rent a
personal watercraft.
No person born after September 30, 1980,
may operate a vessel powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater unless he or she has in their possession a photographic identification and a boater safety identification card issued for successful completion of a NASBLA approved boating safety course. This law will be progressively phased in each year to include a larger segment of the boating population until October 1, 2001 when all persons 21 years of age or younger will be subject to this law.
Personal Flotation Devices:
All children under the age of six years old
must wear a USCG approved personal floatation device on a
vessel less than 26' while the vessel is
underway.Personal watercraft operators and passengers must be wearing an
approved Type I, II, III or V personal
floatation device. Inflatable life jackets are prohibited when water skiing
or operating a personal watercraft.Required
personal floatation device must be readily accessible.
Speed Limits and Reckless Operation:
All vessels operated within Florida should
not in any way be operated in a reckless or negligent manner.
Examples of reckless or careless operation
of a vessel include:
1 Operating in a manner that may cause an
accident or harm to yourself or others.
2 Towing water skiers where obstructions
exist or a fall might cause them to be injured
3 Operating in a swimming area
4 Bow riding or riding on the gunwale or
transom where no seating is provided
5 Excessive speeding of vessel in regulated
or congested areas
Navigation Rules:
The State of Florida enforces all Federally
mandated boating safety laws.
All vessels operating in the State of Florida
shall carry and use safety equipment in accordance with
U. S. Coast Guard requirements as specified
in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Additionally, every vessel shall display the
lights and shapes required by the navigation rules.
Manatee Awareness:
All boaters within the State of Florida should
be never forget of the endangered manatee.
One should operate in a prudent manner in
and around known manatee habitats and should be aware of, and obey,
designated manatee zone areas.
Accident Reporting:
All accidents involving death, personal
injury, or damage greater than $500 must be reported. A "boating accident"
includes, capsizing, collision, foundering,
flooding, fire, explosion and the disappearance of a vessel other
than by theft. Accidents should be reported
immediately to the Florida Fish and Wild Life Commission.
Boating While Intoxicated:
Is a criminal offense punishable by fines up
to $2,500, imprisonment of up to one year, non-paid public service,
and mandatory substance abuse counseling.
The law provides for mandatory sentencing. If a drunken operator kills
or causes serious bodily injury to another
person, the penalty is five years in state prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
By operating on Florida waterways, you are
deemed to have given consent to be tested for alcohol if arrested for
operating under the influence. Refusal to
submit to a test will result in the assessment of a $500 civil penalty.
Registration/Documentation:
All vessels operated on the waters of Florida
must be registered and/or numbered in Florida, except as follows:
1 Vessels used only on private lakes or
ponds
2 Vessels with a current number from
another state or country temporarily boating Florida waters. (No longer than 90 consecutive days.)
3 Non-motor powered vessels
4 Vessels used only as life boats
5 Vessels newly purchased in Florida (no
more than 30 days).
6 Vessels owned by the Federal Government
All registrations must be renewed every year
in the birth month of the owner. Apply for your title
and registration with the state tax collectors.
All vessels, excluding documented vessels and
non-motor-powered vessels less than 16
feet, must be titled in Florida. You will need to know your Hull I.D.
number to title and register your boat. If you
have a homemade boat, contact the Florida Department of Highway Safety
and Motor Vehicles or your tax collector's
office for a HIN. Upon registration, you will be issued a certificate
of number and a validation decal. The
certificate must be on board whenever the boat is used. The boat's number must be
properly displayed as follows on both port
and starboard side (left and right front).The validation decal must be
displayed within six inches of the number on
the port side either before or after the numbers. |
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BOATING REGULATIONS
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