§ 50-21-90 — Boating safety and educational program.

(A) The department must administer a boating safety education course and may approve of additional boating safety education courses. A list of approved courses must be provided on the department's website. (B) The following persons must be issued a South Carolina boating safety certificate in both physical and electronic forms by the department: (1) a person who successfully completes a boating safety education course administered or approved by the department; (2) a person who provides satisfactory proof to the department that the person was issued a boating safety certificate, or an equivalency, by another state; and (3) a person who provides satisfactory proof to the department that the person was issued a license to operate a vessel by the United States Coast Guard or was issued a merchant mariner credential by the United States Coast Guard. (C) The department must approve of one or more boat rental safety education courses to be taken by persons renting a vessel, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft from businesses engaged in the renting of vessels, personal watercrafts, or specialty propcrafts. A person who completes a boat rental safety education course approved by the department must be issued a boat rental safety certificate in either electronic or physical form in the person's name. A boat rental safety certificate is valid for thirty days from the date of issuance and only while operating a vessel, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft from a business engaged in the renting of vessels, personal watercrafts, or specialty propcrafts. (D) The department must maintain a database of all persons issued a South Carolina boating safety certificate.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 70-295.7; 1955 (49) 299; 1959 (51) 409; 1972 (57) 2791; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1269; 2023 Act No. 74 (S.96), SECTION 2, eff August 18, 2023. Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 74, SECTION 2, rewrote the section.