§ 42-8-102 — Personal watercraft--Rules of operation--Age requirement--Violation as misdemeanor.

No person may operate a personal watercraft: (1) Unless each person aboard is wearing a wearable personal flotation device approved by the United States Coast Guard; (2) That is equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard type engine cutoff without attaching such lanyard to the person, clothing, or personal flotation device as appropriate for the specific watercraft; (3) Between sunset and sunrise unless the personal watercraft is equipped with navigation lights as required by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks by rules promulgated pursuant to chapter 1-26 ; (4) At greater than a slow-no-wake speed within one hundred fifty feet of any dock, swimmer, swimming raft, or nonmotorized boat. Slow-no-wake is the slowest possible speed necessary to maintain steerage, but in no case greater than five miles per hour; (5) In other than a reasonable and prudent manner; and (6) To chase or harass wildlife, or travel through emergent floating vegetation at greater than slow-no-wake speed. Except in the case of an emergency, no person under the age of fourteen may operate or be permitted to operate a personal watercraft, regardless of horsepower, unless there is a person eighteen years of age or older on board the craft. No owner of a personal watercraft may permit the personal watercraft to be operated by such underage person. The provisions of this section do not apply to a performer engaged in a professional exhibition or a person preparing to participate or participating in an officially-sanctioned regatta, race, marine parade, tournament, or exhibition. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Legislative History

SL 1993, ch 323, § 2; SL 1996, ch 259; SL 1997, ch 246, § 3; SL 2015, ch 221, § 1.