2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 15 - Navigation and Aeronautics › Chapter 268 - Boating › Section 15-156. - Penalties. Operation of vessel while safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation refused, suspended or revoked. Jurisdiction. Return of certificate to commissioner.

(a) Any person who violates any provision of this part for which a penalty is not provided shall have committed an infraction.
(b) No person to whom a safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation has been refused, or whose certificate or right to operate a vessel in this state has been suspended or revoked, shall operate any vessel during the period of such refusal, suspension or revocation. No person shall operate or cause to be operated any vessel, the registration of which has been suspended or revoked.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, any person who violates any provision of subsection (b) of this section shall, for a first offense, be fined not less than one hundred fifty dollars or more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than three months, or be both fined and imprisoned, and, for any subsequent offense, be fined not less than two hundred dollars or more than six hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or be both fined and imprisoned.
(d) (1) Any person who operates any vessel during the period such person's certificate or right to operate a vessel in this state is under suspension or revocation on account of a violation of subsection (d) of section 15-133 or subsection (c) of section 15-154 shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than one year. In the absence of any mitigating circumstances, as determined by the court, thirty consecutive days of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced in any manner. The court shall specifically state, in writing, for the record any mitigating circumstances, or the absence thereof.
(2) Any person convicted of reckless operation of a vessel in the first or second degree while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, or both, in violation of section 15-140
l
or 15-140n, or of manslaughter in the second degree with a vessel, in violation of section 15-132a, who operates a vessel during the period such person's certificate or right to operate a vessel in this state is under suspension or revocation, in addition to any penalties imposed in accordance with said sections or section 15-140o, shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than one year. In the absence of any mitigating circumstances as determined by the court, thirty consecutive days of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced in any manner. The court shall specifically state, in writing, for the record any mitigating circumstances, or the absence thereof.
(3) A court having jurisdiction of a violation of subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection may prohibit such person from operating any vessel on any waters of this state for a period of not more than two years. Notice of such suspension shall be transmitted forthwith by the court to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.
(e) Any person who has had a safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation suspended or revoked under section 15-132a, subsection (d) of section 15-133 or section 15-140
l,
15-140n or 15-154 shall, not later than two business days after the suspension or revocation takes effect, return the certificate to the commissioner. If such person fails to return the certificate to the commissioner, the commissioner shall direct a conservation law enforcement officer to secure possession thereof and to return the certificate to the office of the commissioner. Failure of such person to return the certificate shall be an infraction.
(1961, P.A. 506, S. 23; P.A. 73-257, S. 21, 27; P.A. 81-423, S. 16, 25; P.A. 82-223, S. 27; 82-348, S. 3, 6; P.A. 89-388, S. 16, 27; P.A. 05-133, S. 1; P.A. 09-140, S. 13; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 12-80, S. 169.)
History: P.A. 73-257 added Subsec. (e) re suspension of privilege to operate boat when conviction made for reckless or negligent operation while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs; P.A. 81-423 inserted references to registration consistent with other sections of the act; P.A. 82-348, in conjunction with P.A. 82-223, deleted references to specific penalties in former Subsecs. (a) to (e) and provided that any violation of a provision in part III of chapter 268 for which a penalty is not provided shall be an infraction and increased fine for any person operating a vessel in violation of a court prohibition from $100 to $200; P.A. 89-388 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re violations in the first or second degree for consistency with legislative enactment of such violations in 1989; P.A. 05-133 prohibited operation of vessel by person who has had safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation refused, suspended or revoked in new Subsec. (b), provided penalty for violation of Subsec. (b) in new Subsec. (c), provided penalties for operation of vessel when certificate under suspension or revocation for violation of Sec. 15-133(d) or Sec. 15-154(c) in new Subsec. (d)(1), redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (d)(2) and (3) and expanded penalty provisions to include person convicted of reckless operation of vessel during period certificate or right to operate is under suspension or revocation, increase fines and impose possibility of imprisonment, and required return of certificate to commissioner or commissioner to direct conservation law enforcement officer to secure possession of certificate in new Subsec. (e); P.A. 09-140 replaced “the mitigating circumstances” with “any mitigating circumstances” in Subsec. (d)(1) and amended Subsecs. (d)(2) and (e) by adding references to Sec. 15-132a, effective July 1, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (d)(3), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (c) to rephrase provisions and replace maximum term of imprisonment for first offense of “ninety days” with “three months”.