25 LC 44 3073
House Bill 556
By: Representatives Cox of the 28
th
, Williams of the 148
th
, McDonald III of the 26
th
, Gunter
of the 8
th
, and Powell of the 33
rd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 52-7-8.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
1
operation of watercraft, identification, and operation by minors, so as to provide for boat2
liveries and education courses; to provide for a penalty; to provide for definitions; to provide3
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5
SECTION 1.6
Code Section 52-7-8.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to operation of7
watercraft, identification, and operation by minors, is amended by revising subsection (g) as8
follows:9
"(g)(1) As used in this subsection, the term:
No person shall rent, lease, or let for hire any10
vessel ten horsepower or more to any person under 16 years of age. On and after July 1,11
2014, a person 16 years of age or older may rent or lease any vessel ten horsepower or12
more if such person has completed a boating education course approved by the13
department. This subsection shall not apply to any person licensed by the United States14
Coast Guard as a master of a vessel or a nonresident who has in his or her possession15
proof that he or she has completed a National Association of State Boating Law16
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Administrators approved boater education course or equivalency examination from17
another state.18
(A) 'Boat livery' means a business which holds any vessel for renting, leasing, or19
chartering.20
(B) 'Course' means a rental education course as provided for in paragraph (3) of this21
subsection.22
(C) 'Person' means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or other23
legal entity.24
(2) A boat livery may not rent, lease, or let for hire any vessel ten horsepower or more25
to any person under 16 years of age. A boat livery may rent, lease, or let for hire a vessel26
ten horsepower or more to a person 16 years of age or older if such person, and one27
additional person 16 years of age or older who will be present on such vessel, has28
completed a rental education course approved by the department's Law Enforcement29
Division and if all persons 16 years of age or older who intend to operate such vessel30
have also completed a course.31
(3) Rental education courses provided by boat liveries pursuant to paragraph (2) of this32
subsection must be approved by the department's Law Enforcement Division and must33
result in the issuance of a rental education certificate by such division upon successful34
completion of the course. Rental education certificates shall be effective for six months35
after the date of issuance and shall be valid anywhere in this state. Boat liveries may use36
course materials either provided by or approved by the department. At a minimum, a37
course must consist of a ten-minute operation familiarization video followed by a renter38
orientation checklist. Such video must address the following topics in order to be39
approved:40
(A) Operator responsibility, ethics, courtesy, and good judgment on the water;41
(B) Safety equipment;42
(C) Navigation rules;43
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(D) Aids to navigation, and buoys and other waterway markers; and44
(E) Proper identification.45
(4) The requirement to complete a course does not apply to any person licensed by the46
United States Coast Guard as a master of a vessel, any person who has in his or her47
possession a valid boater education identification card showing that he or she has48
completed a boating education course approved by the department's Law Enforcement49
Division, or a nonresident who has in his or her possession proof that he or she has50
completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators approved boater51
education course or equivalency examination from another state.52
(5) Any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."53
SECTION 2.54
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.55
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