§ 50-21-30 — Watercraft laws and ordinances; special rules and regulations.

(A) For the purposes of this section, "floating structure" means a man-made object other than a watercraft that is capable of flotation and that is not authorized by a permit issued by an agency of this State. (B) The provisions of Title 50 and other applicable laws of this State shall govern the operation, equipment, titling, numbering, and all other matters relating thereto for watercraft and water devices using or held for use on the waters of this State. A local government may not adopt an ordinance regulating watercraft or water devices used or held for use on the waters of this State unless the ordinance is: (1) identical to a provision of this chapter; (2) identical to a regulation promulgated under the authority of a provision of this chapter; or (3) authorized pursuant to the provisions of this section. (C)(1) A local government may adopt an ordinance requiring a permit for a watercraft or floating structure to remain moored, anchored, or otherwise located in any one five-mile radius on public waters within its local jurisdiction for more than fourteen consecutive days. The cost of a permit required by a local government may not exceed fifteen dollars. An ordinance adopted pursuant to this subsection must not apply to watercraft: (a) moored to a dock or marina berth with permission from the dock or berth owner; (b) moored to a mooring buoy that is permitted by the Department of Health and Environmental Control with permission from the buoy owner; or (c) moored to a mooring buoy with permission from the buoy owner, provided that the buoy is in the location as it existed on public waters on June 30, 2021. (2) Notwithstanding Section 5-7-140(B), the corporate limits of any municipality bordering on the high-water mark of a navigable body of water, other than the Atlantic Ocean, are extended to the center of the channel of the navigable body of water for the sole purpose of enforcing an ordinance adopted pursuant to this subsection. (D) An officer of the department who reasonably believes that watercraft within a local government's jurisdiction is in violation of an ordinance adopted pursuant to the provisions of this section must provide the location of the watercraft to the local government. (E) The department is hereby authorized to make special rules and regulations with reference to the operation of watercraft on the waters of this State.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 70-295.2; 1955 (49) 299; 1959 (51) 409; 1972 (57) 2791; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1269; 2008 Act No. 344, SECTION 3, eff six months after approval (approved June 11, 2008); 2021 Act No. 77 (H.3865), SECTION 1, eff July 1, 2021. Effect of Amendment The 2008 amendment, in subsection (1), substituted "Title 50" for "this chapter", added "titling", substituted "for watercraft and water devices using or held for use on" for "whenever any vessel shall be operated on" and "watercraft;" for "vessels the provisions of which are identical to the provisions of this chapter, amendments thereto, or regulations issued thereunder;" and made nonsubstantive language changes. 2021 Act No. 77, SECTION 1, rewrote the section.