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

South Dakota Statutes

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

South Dakota § 42-8-102

Title 42RECREATION AND SPORTS

Ch. 42-6WATERCRAFT

This text of South Dakota § 42-8-102 (Personal watercraft--Rules of operation--Age requirement--Violation as misdemeanor.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.D. Codified Laws § 42-8-102 (2026).

Text

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

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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.