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2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.16 | Water Skiing After Dark Prohibited.

Effective:
June 13, 1990
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 522 - 118th General Assembly
No person shall ride or attempt to ride upon water skis, surfboard, or similar device, or engage or attempt to engage in barefoot skiing, or use or operate any vessel to tow any person thereon on the waters in this state during that period of the day between sunset and sunrise, except upon special permit issued by the state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision having jurisdiction and control of such water.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.18 | Personal Flotation Device Required.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
(A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no person shall engage in any form of towed watersports without wearing an adequate and effective coast guard approved wearable personal flotation device specifically designed for towed watersports, in good and serviceable condition and of appropriate size, except upon special permit issued by one of the following persons or entities that manages the waterway:
(1) The political subdivision having primary jurisdiction;
(2) The administrator of a federal agency;
(3) The director of a state agency;
(4) The board of directors of a conservancy district;
(5) Any other governing body having jurisdiction.
(B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a person engaging or attempting to engage in barefoot skiing if the person is wearing a wet suit specifically designed for barefoot skiing that is in good and serviceable condition and of appropriate size.
(C) No operator of a vessel shall allow any person who fails to comply with division (A) or (B) of this section to engage in any form of towed watersports.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.19 | Ski Jumps Prohibited.

Effective:
March 4, 1983
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 782 - 114th General Assembly
No person shall install or maintain any structure or inclined platform known as a water ski jump on the waters in this state. No person shall use any such platform or structure for the purpose of water ski jumping, except upon special permit issued by the state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision having jurisdiction and control over such water.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.20 | Permission for Conducting Special Water Events.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
No person or organization shall conduct any race, regatta, or other special event upon the waters in this state without first obtaining written permission, upon application not less than thirty days prior to the time of the proposed race, regatta, or event, of the federal agency, state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision having jurisdiction and control over such waters. Any state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision may suspend its respective rules during a race, regatta, or special event. Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that the operator of a vessel competing in a specially authorized race, regatta, or special event shall not attempt to attain high speeds on a marked racing course.
On any waters in this state over which no federal agency, state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision has jurisdiction and control, no person or organization shall conduct any race, regatta, or other special event without first obtaining written permission, upon application not less than thirty days prior to the time of the proposed race, regatta, or event, of the chief of the division of parks and watercraft. The chief may, after determining that the public safety will be adequately protected, grant written permission for holding such race, regatta, or special event. This section does not apply to privately owned lakes or ponds nor to canoes or rowboats.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.21 | Requirements for Inflatable Vessel.

Effective:
June 13, 1990
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 522 - 118th General Assembly
No person shall use or offer for use on the waters in this state any inflatable vessel made of canvas, rubber, synthetic rubber, or vinyl plastic unless the inflatable vessel is of multiple air cell or compartment construction and is capable of remaining afloat if one air cell or compartment is punctured or collapsed.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.22 | Restrictions on Sitting, Standing, Walking on Moving Vessel.

Effective:
March 18, 1999
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 187 - 122nd General Assembly
No occupant of any vessel underway on the waters in this state shall sit, stand, or walk upon any portion of the vessel not specifically designed for that movement, except when immediately necessary for the safe and reasonable navigation or operation of the vessel. No operator of a vessel under way on the waters in this state shall allow any occupant of the vessel to sit, stand, or walk on any portion of the vessel underway not specifically designed for that use, except when immediately necessary for the safe and reasonable navigation or operation of the vessel.
No person shall operate or permit to be operated any vessel on the waters in this state in violation of this section.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.23 | Warming-Up Engine.

Effective:
August 5, 1959
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 708 - 103rd General Assembly
The pilot or engineer of any powercraft for hire to carry passengers shall not permit passengers to come aboard before the engine of such powercraft has been permitted to run for a minimum of two minutes.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.24 | Personal Flotation Devices Required for Child Under 10.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
No person shall operate or permit to be operated any vessel under eighteen feet in length while there is present in the vessel any person under ten years of age, not wearing a coast guard approved wearable personal flotation device in good and serviceable condition of appropriate size securely attached to the person under ten years of age.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.251 | Use of Approved Distress Signals or Flags.

Effective:
March 18, 1999
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 187 - 122nd General Assembly
(A) No person shall operate on the waters of Lake Erie or the immediately connecting bays, harbors, and anchorage areas at any time a vessel that is sixteen or more feet in length or any vessel carrying six or fewer passengers for hire without carrying coast guard approved visual distress signals for both day and night use.
(B) No person shall operate upon the waters of Lake Erie or the immediately connecting bays, harbors, and anchorage areas during the period from sunset to sunrise according to local time any of the following without carrying coast guard approved visual distress signals for night use:
(1) A vessel less than sixteen feet in length;
(2) A vessel competing in an organized marine parade, race, regatta, or similar event;
(3) A manually propelled vessel;
(4) A sailboat less than twenty-six feet in length with completely open construction and without propulsion machinery.
(C) No person shall operate a vessel on the waters in this state other than Lake Erie or the immediately connecting bays, harbors, and anchorage areas unless the vessel carries either a distress flag at least two feet square and international orange in color or a coast guard approved daytime distress signal.
(D) No person shall display any distress signal unless a vessel or a person is in distress and in need of help.
(E) Divisions (A) and (C) of this section do not apply to any of the following:
(1) Vessels competing in an organized marine parade, race, regatta, or similar event;
(2) Manually propelled vessels;
(3) Sailboats less than twenty-six feet in length with completely open construction and without propulsion machinery.
(F) The distress signals required by this section shall be in good and serviceable condition, readily accessible, and of the type and quantities required by regulations adopted under 46 U.S.C. 4302, as amended.
(G) No person shall operate or permit to be operated any vessel on the waters in this state in violation of this section.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.26 | Requiring Anchor and Line.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
All watercraft, except sailboats less than sixteen feet long having a cockpit depth of less than twelve inches and except canoes, shall carry an anchor and line of sufficient weight and length to anchor the watercraft securely. The chief of the division of parks and watercraft, by rule, may exempt other types of watercraft from this section after determining that carrying such an anchor and line would constitute a hazard.
No person shall operate or permit to be operated any watercraft on the waters in this state in violation of this section.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.27 | Required Fire Extinguishers.

Effective:
October 3, 2023
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly
(A) Except those powercraft less than twenty-six feet in length designed for use with an outboard motor, of open construction that is not capable of entrapping explosive or flammable gases or vapors, and not carrying passengers for hire, all powercraft shall carry fire extinguishers as prescribed in this section. The fire extinguishers shall be capable of extinguishing a burning gasoline fire, shall be in such condition as to be ready for immediate and effective use, and shall comply with minimum or higher standards for such extinguishers then prevailing as prescribed by the United States coast guard.
(B) Except for vessels subject to exemptions listed in 33 C.F.R. 175.380 or 175.390, any vessel not equipped with fixed fire extinguishing systems in machinery spaces shall carry the following:
(1) Class A and class 1 powercraft shall carry at least one 5-B portable fire extinguisher.
(2) Class 2 powercraft shall carry at least two 5-B portable fire extinguishers or at least one 20-B portable fire extinguisher.
(3) Class 3 powercraft shall carry at least three 5-B portable fire extinguishers, or at least one 5-B portable and one 20-B portable fire extinguishers.
(4) Class 4 powercraft shall carry the number and type of 20-B portable fire extinguishers specified by gross tonnage as prescribed by 33 C.F.R. 175, subpart E.
(C) All portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers for use on a vessel shall:
(1) Be on board the vessel and be readily accessible;
(2) Be of an approved type;
(3) Not be expired or appear to have been previously used;
(4) Be maintained in good and serviceable working condition. As used in division (C)(4) of this section, "good and serviceable working condition" means all of the following:
(a) If the fire extinguisher has a pressure gauge or indicator, the reading or indicator is in the operable range or position;
(b) The fire extinguisher's lock pin is firmly in place;
(c) The fire extinguisher's discharge nozzle is clean and free of obstruction;
(d) The fire extinguisher does not show visible signs of significant corrosion or damage.
(D) No person shall operate or permit to be operated on the waters in this state any powercraft that does not comply with this section.
Last updated September 12, 2023 at 10:20 AM
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.28 | Backfire Flame Control Device.

Effective:
March 18, 1997
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 295 - 121st General Assembly
Every gasoline engine installed in a vessel after April 25, 1940, except an outboard motor, shall be equipped with an acceptable device to control backfire flame. The device shall comply with all of the following:
(A) Be securely attached to the air intake with a flame-tight connection;
(B) Be in proper working order;
(C) Be coast guard approved or comply with either SAE J1928 or UL 1111;
(D) Be marked to indicate approval or compliance under division (C) of this section.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.29 | Ventilation Requirements.

Effective:
September 4, 1970
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 1002 - 108th General Assembly
All powercraft using gasoline or other liquid fuel having a flashpoint of less than 110° F. shall be provided with ventilation as follows:
(A) At least two ventilators fitted with cowls or their equivalent for the purpose of properly and efficiently ventilating the bilges of every engine and fuel tank compartment in order to remove any inflammable or explosive gases;
(B) Any type of ventilating system approved for use by the United States coast guard;
(C) The ventilation of the boat is not required where the greater portion of the bilges of the engine and fuel tank compartment is open to the natural atmosphere.
Last updated April 7, 2022 at 2:27 PM
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.302 | Disposing of Unclaimed Vessel or Motor.

Effective:
September 29, 2011
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly
(A) Unclaimed vessels or outboard motors ordered into storage under division (B) of section 1547.30 or section 1547.301 of the Revised Code shall be disposed of at the order of the sheriff of the county, the chief of police of the municipal corporation, township, or township police district, or another chief of a law enforcement agency in any of the following ways:
(1) To a marine salvage dealer;
(2) To any other facility owned, operated, or under contract with the state or the county, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision;
(3) To a charitable organization, religious organization, or similar organization not used and operated for profit;
(4) By sale at public auction by the sheriff, the chief, or an auctioneer licensed under Chapter 4707. of the Revised Code, after giving notice of the auction by advertisement, published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code.
(B) Any moneys accruing from the disposition of an unclaimed vessel or motor that are in excess of the expenses resulting from the removal and storage of the vessel or motor shall be credited to the general revenue fund or to the general fund of the county, municipal corporation, township, or other political subdivision, as appropriate.
(C) As used in this section, "charitable organization" has the same meaning as in section 1716.01 of the Revised Code.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.304 | Abandoned Junk Vessel or Outboard Motor on Private Property.

Effective:
September 29, 2011
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly
No person shall purposely leave an abandoned junk vessel or outboard motor on private property for more than seventy-two hours without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property; in a sunken, beached, or drifting condition for any period of time; or in a docked condition, on a public street or other property open to the public, or upon or within the right-of-way of any waterway, road, or highway, for forty-eight hours or longer without notification to the sheriff of the county, chief of police of the municipal corporation, township, township police district, or joint police district, or other chief of a law enforcement agency, having territorial jurisdiction with respect to the location of the vessel or motor, of the reasons for leaving the vessel or motor in any such place or condition.
For purposes of this section, the fact that an abandoned junk vessel or outboard motor has been so left without permission or notification is prima-facie evidence of abandonment.
Nothing in sections 1547.30, 1547.301, and 1547.303 of the Revised Code invalidates the provisions of any ordinance of a municipal corporation regulating or prohibiting the abandonment of vessels or outboard motors on waterways, beaches, docks, streets, highways, public property, or private property within the boundaries of the municipal corporation.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.32 | Vessel Used as Dwelling Creating Nuisance.

Effective:
June 13, 1990
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 522 - 118th General Assembly
No person shall use any vessel for the purpose of establishing or maintaining a dwelling which creates a nuisance of either permanent or temporary nature on any of the waters in this state except Lake Erie, the Muskingum River, the Ohio River, and the immediately connected harbors and anchorage facilities or in such other areas as may be designated for the purpose.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.33 | Restrictions on Sink, Toilet or Sanitary System.

Effective:
March 18, 1999
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 187 - 122nd General Assembly
Except on the waters of Lake Erie, the Muskingum River, or the Ohio River, no person shall launch, moor, dock, use, operate, or permit to be operated on any of the waters in this state any vessel that contains a sink, toilet, or sanitary system that is capable of discharging urine, fecal matter, contents of a chemical commode, kitchen wastes, laundry wastes, slop sink drainage, or other household wastes into the waters in this state. Such a sink, toilet, or sanitary system shall be removed, sealed, or made to drain into a tank or reservoir that can be carried or pumped ashore for disposal in a sewage treatment works approved by the director of environmental protection.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.34 | Violations Prima Facie Evidence of Negligence.

Effective:
March 4, 1983
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 782 - 114th General Assembly
Violations of sections 1547.02 to 1547.36 of the Revised Code, which result in injury to persons or damage to property shall constitute prima-facie evidence of negligence in a civil action.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.38 | Prohibiting Rental of Improperly Equipped Vessel.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
No person who lets vessels for hire, or the agent or employee thereof, shall rent, lease, charter, or otherwise permit the use of a vessel, unless the person provides the vessel with the equipment required under sections 1547.25, 1547.251, 1547.26, 1547.27, 1547.28, 1547.29, and 1547.31 of the Revised Code and rules regarding the equipment of vessels, and complies with the requirements of sections 1547.24, 1547.40, 1547.53, 1547.57, and either 1547.54 or 1547.542 of the Revised Code and rules to implement and enforce those sections.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.39 | Requiring Capacity Plate.

Effective:
March 18, 1999
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 187 - 122nd General Assembly
(A) No person, after January 1, 1977, shall manufacture, sell, or offer for sale any watercraft propelled by machinery as its principal source of power, or watercraft designed to be manually propelled, less than twenty feet in length, and designed to carry two or more persons, manufactured after that date, unless a capacity plate containing the correct information, as prescribed by regulations adopted by the United States coast guard, is firmly attached to the watercraft. The capacity plate shall be attached in such a location that it is clearly legible from the position designed or intended to be occupied by the operator when the watercraft is underway.
(B) No person shall operate or permit to be operated on the waters in this state watercraft for which a capacity plate is required under this section unless the capacity plate is attached.
(C) No person shall alter, remove, or deface any information contained on the capacity plate unless the manufacturer has altered the watercraft in such a way that would require a change in the information contained on the capacity plate.
(D) As used in this section, "manufacture" means to construct or assemble a watercraft, or to alter a watercraft in such a manner as to affect or change its weight capacity or occupant capacity.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.40 | Exceeding Capacity Plate Figures.

Effective:
March 18, 1999
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 187 - 122nd General Assembly
(A) No person shall operate or permit to be operated on the waters in this state a watercraft to which a capacity plate is attached if the total load exceeds the weight capacity indicated on the capacity plate, if the number of persons aboard exceeds the occupant capacity indicated on the capacity plate, or if the horsepower of any attached outboard motor exceeds the maximum horsepower indicated on the capacity plate.
(B) When no capacity plate exists, no person shall operate or permit to be operated on the waters in this state a watercraft if a reasonably prudent person would believe that either of the following circumstances applies:
(1) The total load aboard the watercraft has associated with it a risk of physical harm to persons or property;
(2) The total horsepower of any inboard engine or attached outboard motor has associated with it a risk of physical harm to persons or property.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.41 | Personal Watercraft Operation Requirements.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
(A)(1) No person shall operate or permit the operation of a personal watercraft unless each person on the watercraft is wearing a coast guard approved wearable personal flotation device used in compliance with manufacturer labeling.
(2) A person operating a personal watercraft that is equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard type engine cutoff switch shall attach the lanyard to the person, the person's clothing, or the personal flotation device as appropriate for the specific watercraft.
(3) No person shall operate a personal watercraft at any time between sunset and sunrise.
(4) No person who owns a personal watercraft or who has charge over or control of a personal watercraft shall authorize or knowingly permit the personal watercraft to be operated in violation of this chapter.
(B) This section does not apply to a person who is participating in a regatta, race, marine parade, tournament, or exhibition that is operated in accordance with section 1547.20 of the Revised Code or that is coast guard approved.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.49 | Littering Prohibited.

Effective:
June 13, 1990
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 522 - 118th General Assembly
(A) As used in this section, "litter" means garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, vessel parts, vehicle parts, furniture, glass, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature.
(B) No operator or occupant of a vessel shall, regardless of intent, throw, drop, discard, or deposit litter from any vessel in operation or control upon or in any waters in this state, except into a litter receptacle in a manner that prevents its being carried away or deposited by the elements.
(C) No operator of a vessel in operation upon any waters in this state shall allow litter to be thrown, dropped, discarded, or deposited from the vessel, except into a litter receptacle in a manner that prevents its being carried away or deposited by the elements.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.51 | Educational Programs.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
(A) A natural resources officer shall conduct educational programs in vessel safety, sanitation, and operation and in other related subjects that the director of natural resources, in consultation with the chief of the division of parks and watercraft, considers appropriate or necessary.
(B) Except as authorized by division (C) of this section, no natural resources officer or other law enforcement officer as described in section 1547.63 of the Revised Code shall stop or board any vessel solely for the purpose of conducting a safety inspection of the vessel unless the owner or operator voluntarily requests the officer to conduct a safety inspection of the vessel.
(C) A natural resources officer or other law enforcement officer as described in section 1547.63 of the Revised Code may stop, board, and conduct a safety inspection of any vessel if either of the following applies:
(1) The officer has a reasonable suspicion that the vessel, the vessel's equipment, or the vessel's operator is in violation of this chapter or rules or is otherwise engaged in a violation of a law of this state or a local ordinance, resolution, rule, or regulation adopted in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 1547. of the Revised Code within the territorial jurisdiction of the officer;
(2) The officer is conducting a vessel safety inspection in the course of an authorized checkpoint operation in accordance with rules.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.532 | Vessels Exempt From Registration.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
(A) All of the following are exempt from registration under this chapter:
(1) Sailboards;
(2) Kiteboards;
(3) Paddleboards;
(4) Belly boats or float tubes.
(B) As used in this section:
(1) "Belly boat" or "float tube" means an inflatable vessel with a built-in seat or harness that is propelled solely by human muscular effort without using an oar, paddle, or pole, and designed to accommodate a single individual as an operator in such a manner that the operator remains partially submerged in the water.
(2) "Kiteboard" means a recreational vessel that is inherently buoyant, has no cockpit, and is operated by an individual who utilizes control lines while tethered to a kite that provides a means of propulsion and lift.
(3) "Paddleboard" means a long, narrow, somewhat rounded, inherently buoyant recreational vessel that is constructed of a flat, or nearly flat, rigid material, is propelled by human muscular effort using a pole or single- or double-bladed paddle, and is operated by an individual who is kneeling, standing, or lying on the vessel.
(4) "Sailboard" means a long, narrow, somewhat rounded recreational vessel that is inherently buoyant, has no cockpit, is constructed of a flat, or nearly flat, rigid material, has a single sail mounted on a mast that is connected to the vessel by a free-rotating, flexible joint, and is operated by an individual who is standing on the vessel.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.533 | Fraudulent Watercraft Identification.

Effective:
September 30, 2021
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly
No person shall operate a watercraft in this state if it displays an identification number or registration decal that is any of the following:
(A) Fictitious;
(B) A counterfeit or an unlawfully made copy of any identification number or registration decal;
(C) An identification number or registration decal that belongs to another watercraft.
Last updated September 9, 2021 at 12:10 PM
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.541 | Historic Watercraft Identification Plates.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
The owner of a watercraft that is more than twenty-five years old, is essentially as originally constructed, and is owned primarily as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and similar uses, but is not used for general recreation may apply to the chief of the division of parks and watercraft for a historic watercraft identification plate. The chief, by rule, may establish additional criteria for the registration of historic watercraft that the chief considers necessary.
The chief shall prescribe the form of application and shall issue a historic watercraft identification plate, which shall be securely affixed to the watercraft. The plate shall bear no date, but shall bear the inscription "historic watercraft." A registration number assigned by the chief shall be shown on the plate. The plate is valid without renewal as long as the watercraft exists and ownership does not change. The fee for the plate is twenty-five dollars.
Whenever the ownership of a historic watercraft changes, an application for transfer of registration, together with a fee of ten dollars, shall be filed with the division of parks and watercraft, and a new certificate of registration shall be issued.
The historic watercraft identification plate shall be shown on the watercraft in the same manner as a number required under sections 1547.53 and 1547.57 of the Revised Code.
If the watercraft is to be used for general recreation, it also shall be registered as required by section 1547.54 of the Revised Code.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.544 | Effect of Child Support Default on Certificate.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
On receipt of a notice pursuant to section 3123.43 of the Revised Code, the division of parks and watercraft shall comply with sections 3123.41 to 3123.50 of the Revised Code and any applicable rules adopted under section 3123.63 of the Revised Code with respect to a certificate issued pursuant to section 1547.542 or 1547.543 of the Revised Code.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.55 | Moneys Collected Paid Into Waterways Safety Fund.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
All moneys collected by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft under this chapter shall be paid into the waterways safety fund established in section 1547.75 of the Revised Code. All expenses for salaries, operation, and administration of the division relating to boating shall be paid from the fund. The chief may make expenditures from the fund for publishing statutes and rules concerning watercraft, for publications which are solely for the purpose of providing education in watercraft safety, sanitation, or operation, and for other educational devices for that purpose. The chief shall make payments to the division of parks and recreation, the division of wildlife, conservancy districts, and political subdivisions of this state as further provided in section 1547.56 of the Revised Code. No moneys paid into the fund shall be used or paid out for any purposes other than those for which the fund is appropriated. All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.56 | Reimbursing Political Subdivisions and Agencies.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
All applications for a registration certificate filed with the chief of the division of parks and watercraft shall bear a notation as to water principally used by the watercraft. The division of wildlife, conservancy districts, and other political subdivisions having impounded bodies of water upon which boating is permitted and authorized shall file annually with the chief an application for refund. The chief shall annually reimburse the division of wildlife, conservancy districts, and such other political subdivisions which have made proper application, in the amount of money collected by the chief as fees for the issuance of registration certificates commensurate with the number of watercraft having designated the waters of the division, conservancy district, or political subdivision as the water principally used. The amounts so refunded shall not be less than ninety per cent of the amounts separately collected by the division of wildlife, conservancy districts, and other political subdivisions, in the calendar year 1959, for watercraft license fees so long as the total revenue received by the division of parks and watercraft in each succeeding license year thereafter is equal to, or in excess of, the total revenue derived by all state departments, conservancy districts, and political subdivisions of this state, requiring licenses, and received by them in the calendar year 1959. The chief shall first deduct from the amount to be refunded the applicable pro rata share of all costs of operation of the division of watercraft determined by the ratio between the amount to be so refunded and the total fees received by the division for issuances of registration certificates. On all applications which have designated water other than those specified above as water principally used, the chief shall pay the fees received from the applications to the waterways safety fund established in section 1547.75 of the Revised Code.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.57 | Watercraft Tags.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
(A) Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of this section, when the chief of the division of parks and watercraft issues a registration certificate under section 1547.54 of the Revised Code, the chief also shall issue to the applicant two tags not larger than three inches square, color coded, indicating the expiration date of the certificate. The owner of watercraft currently documented by the United States coast guard and for which a registration certificate is issued shall securely affix one tag to the watercraft's port side and the other tag to the starboard side so that the tags are clearly visible under normal operating conditions. The tags shall be removed from the watercraft when they become invalid. The owner of any other watercraft for which a registration certificate is issued shall securely affix one tag to the watercraft's port side, six inches toward the stern from the identification number, and the other tag to the starboard side, six inches toward the stern from the identification number. The tags shall be securely affixed to the watercraft prior to its operation, but shall be removed from the watercraft when they become invalid. A person may operate without a registration certificate issued under section 1547.54 of the Revised Code, for a period not to exceed forty-five days, any watercraft required to be titled on the waters in this state if the person is in compliance with section 1547.531 of the Revised Code.
(B) The owner of every watercraft requiring numbering by this state shall attach to each side of the bow of the watercraft the permanent identification number in such manner as may be prescribed by applicable federal standards in order that it shall be clearly visible. The number shall be maintained in a legible condition at all times. No number other than the number assigned to a watercraft or granted by reciprocity pursuant to this chapter shall be painted, attached, or otherwise displayed on either side of the bow of the watercraft.
(C) When the chief issues a registration certificate under section 1547.54 of the Revised Code for a canoe, rowboat, or inflatable watercraft that has not been numbered under section 1547.53 of the Revised Code, the chief also shall issue to the applicant a tag not larger than three inches by six inches, with distinguishing color coding and a number for identification purposes. The owner of the canoe, rowboat, or inflatable watercraft for which the registration certificate is issued shall affix the tag securely to a location on the canoe, rowboat, or inflatable watercraft as prescribed by rules.
(D) No person shall operate or permit to be operated any watercraft on the waters in this state in violation of this section.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.58 | Disclosure Statement Regarding Alternative Process of r.c. 1547.305.

Effective:
January 29, 2021
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 211 - 133rd General Assembly
When the chief of the division of parks and watercraft issues a registration certificate under section 1547.54 of the Revised Code, the chief also shall provide to the owner of the registered watercraft a disclosure statement regarding the requirements and procedures established under section 1547.305 of the Revised Code.
The disclosure statement shall inform the owner that if the watercraft is left on private property of another without a valid service, repair, or storage contract, the watercraft may be rendered abandoned and subject to the process set forth in section 1547.305 of the Revised Code.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.59 | Rendering Assistance After Collision.

Effective:
September 30, 2021
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly
The operator of a vessel involved in a collision, accident, or other casualty, so far as the operator can do so without serious danger to the operator's own vessel, crew, and passengers, shall render to other persons affected by the collision, accident, or other casualty such assistance as may be practicable and as may be necessary in order to save them from or minimize any danger caused by the collision, accident, or other casualty. The operator also shall give the operator's name, address, and identification of the operator's vessel in writing to any person injured and to the owner of any property damaged in the collision, accident, or other casualty.
Any person who renders assistance at the scene of a collision, accident, or other casualty involving a vessel is not liable in a civil action for damages or injury to persons or property resulting from any act or omission in rendering assistance or in providing or arranging salvage, towage, medical treatment, or other assistance, except that the person is liable for willful or wanton misconduct in rendering assistance. Nothing in this section precludes recovery from any tortfeasor causing a collision, accident, or other casualty of damages caused or aggravated by the rendering of assistance.
In the case of collision, accident, or other casualty involving a vessel, the operator thereof, if the collision, accident, or other casualty results in loss of life, personal injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, damage to property in excess of one thousand dollars, or the total loss of a vessel, shall file with the chief of the division of parks and watercraft a full description of the collision, accident, or other casualty on a form prescribed by the chief.
If the operator of the vessel involved in a collision, accident, or other casualty is incapacitated, the investigating law enforcement officer shall file the required form as prescribed by the chief.
Last updated August 4, 2021 at 11:01 AM
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.61 | Applicable State Laws.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
This chapter and other applicable laws of this state govern the operation, equipment, registration, numbering, and all other matters relating thereto whenever any vessel is operated on the waters in this state, whether the waters are under the jurisdiction and control of a state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision, or when any activity regulated by this chapter takes place thereon; but nothing in this chapter prevents the adoption of any rule or ordinance relating to operation and equipment of vessels the provisions of which are identical to the provisions of this chapter or rules; provided, that such rules or ordinances shall be operative only so long as and to the extent that they continue to be identical to the provisions of this chapter or rules. Conservancy districts and political subdivisions may adopt ordinances or rules limiting the horsepower of inboard or outboard motors, the maximum and minimum size and type of vessels, and the speed at which vessels may be operated, except that, upon impounded bodies of water covering three thousand five hundred acres of land or more, no conservancy district or political subdivision shall prohibit the use of motors of one hundred twenty horsepower or less when used in conjunction with properly proportioned boats in a reasonable area to be designed for the use of those motors and boats and for water skiing; and provided that upon Tappan Lake no conservancy district or political subdivision shall prohibit the use of motors of sixty-five horsepower or less when used in conjunction with properly proportioned boats in a reasonable area to be designated for the use of those motors and boats and for water skiing.
Any state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision may, at any time, but only after public notice published in a newspaper of local circulation, make formal application to the chief of the division of parks and watercraft for special rules with reference to the operation of vessels on any waters within its territorial limits and shall set forth therein the reasons which make such special rules necessary or appropriate.
The division of parks and watercraft may make special rules governing the operation of vessels on any waters within the territorial limits of any political subdivision.
No political subdivision or conservancy district shall charge any license fee or other charge against the owner of any vessel for the right or privilege of operating the vessel upon the waters of any such political subdivision or conservancy district, and no license or number in addition to those provided for under this chapter shall be required by any state department, conservancy district, or political subdivision.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.63 | Enforcement.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
Every sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, deputy marshal, member of the organized police department of any municipal corporation, police constable of any township, wildlife officer, natural resources officer, conservancy district police officer, and other law enforcement officer, within the area of any such law enforcement officer's authority, may enforce this chapter and rules and, in the exercise thereof, may stop and board any vessel subject to this chapter and rules.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.65 | Hull Identification Number.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
(A) A watercraft constructed on or after November 1, 1972, shall have a hull identification number permanently displayed and affixed to it in accordance with federal law.
(B) A watercraft constructed before November 1, 1972, shall have a hull identification number assigned to it by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft at the time of registration, at the time of application for title, after transfer of ownership, or at the time of a change to this state as the principal location of operation. The number shall be permanently displayed and affixed as prescribed by rules.
(C) A person who builds a watercraft or imports a watercraft from another country for personal use and not for the purpose of sale shall request a hull identification number from the chief and permanently display and affix the number as prescribed by rules.
(D) No person shall operate or permit to be operated any watercraft on the waters in this state in violation of this section.
2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1547 | Watercraft and Waterways › Section 1547.66 | Altering Identifying Marks - False Information on Application for Registration.

Effective:
September 14, 2016
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 293 - 131st General Assembly
No person shall deface or alter any serial number, model designation, or other identifying mark on any watercraft or motor as placed thereon by the manufacturer thereof, or remove, deface, or alter the registration number of any watercraft as the registration number appears on the bow thereof except by specific order of the chief of the division of parks and watercraft.
No person shall give purposely false information concerning any watercraft or motor when applying for registration of the watercraft. Any certificate issued which is found to be based on such false information is void.