Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1547 - Watercraft And Waterways

• Section 1547.01 - Watercraft And Waterway Definitions.
  (A) As used in sections 1541.03, 1547.26, 1547.39, 1547.40, 1547.53, 1547.54, 1547.541, 1547.542, 1547.543, 1547.56, 1547.57, 1547.66, and 5311.01 of the Revised Code, "watercraft"...
• Section 1547.02 - Applicability Of Chapter To Vessels Operating On The Waters In This State.
  Unless otherwise provided, this chapter applies to all vessels operating on the waters in this state. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed in...
• Section 1547.03 - Flashing Light Prohibition.
  No person shall install or use any intermittently flashing light of any type or color on any vessel in use or operation on the...
• Section 1547.04 - Siren Prohibition - Exception.
  No person, except an authorized watercraft representative of the federal government, the state, or any of its political subdivisions shall use or operate a...
• Section 1547.05 - Completing Boating Course As Prerequisite To Licensing; Exception.
  (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no person born on or after January 1, 1982, shall operate on the waters...
• Section 1547.051 - Presenting Proof Of License.
  A person born on or after January 1, 1982, who is operating on the waters in this state a powercraft powered by more than...
• Section 1547.052 - Powercraft Rentals.
  (A) No rental business shall lease, hire, or rent a powercraft powered by more than ten horsepower for operation on the waters in this...
• Section 1547.06 - Child Operators.
  (A) Except as otherwise provided in this division, no person under sixteen years of age shall operate a personal watercraft on the waters in...
• Section 1547.07 - Reckless Or Unsafe Operation Of Vessel, Water Skis, Aquaplane.
  (A) Any person who operates any vessel or manipulates any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device on the waters in this state carelessly or...
• Section 1547.071 - Authority Of Law Enforcement Officer When Especially Hazardous Condition Exists.
  (A) If a law enforcement officer observes a vessel being used and determines that at least one of the unsafe conditions identified in division...
• Section 1547.072 - Operator Of Vessel To Maintain Control.
  No person shall operate or permit the operation of a vessel on the waters in this state without maintaining sufficient control to avoid an...
• Section 1547.08 - Prohibiting Operation In Certain Areas - Low Speed Areas.
  (A) No person shall operate a vessel within or through a designated bathing area or within or through any area that has been buoyed...
• Section 1547.09 - Prohibited Acts.
  No person shall moor or anchor any vessel in a designated speed zone or water ski zone. No person, unless in distress and no...
• Section 1547.10 - Stopping And Furnishing Information Upon Accident Or Collision.
  In case of accident to or collision with persons or property on the waters of this state, due to the operation of any vessel,...
• Section 1547.11 - Operation, Control, Or Manipulation Under Influence Of Alcohol Or Drug.
  (A) No person shall operate or be in physical control of any vessel underway or shall manipulate any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device...
• Section 1547.111 - Implied Consent To Chemical Test.
  (A) (1) (a) Any person who operates or is in physical control of a vessel or manipulates any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device...
• Section 1547.12 - Incapacitated Operators Prohibited.
  No person shall operate any vessel if the person is so mentally or physically incapacitated as to be unable to operate the vessel in...
• Section 1547.13 - Failure To Comply With Order Of Law Enforcement - Fleeing And Eluding.
  (A) No person shall fail to comply with any lawful order or direction of any law enforcement officer having authority to direct, control, or...
• Section 1547.131 - Duty To Stop Or Give Way Upon Approach Of Law Enforcement Vessel.
  Upon the approach of a law enforcement vessel with at least one flashing, rotating, or oscillating light of a color conforming with the requirements...
• Section 1547.132 - Vessel Wake Restrictions.
  (A) As used in this section, "public service" means activities that include, but are not limited to, escorting or patrolling special water events, traffic...
• Section 1547.14 - Water Skiing Activity Confined To Ski Zones.
  (A) Except on the waters of the Ohio River or Lake Erie and immediately connected harbors and bays, any person who rides or attempts...
• Section 1547.15 - Observer Required When Towing Skier.
  Any person who operates a vessel towing any person riding or attempting to ride upon one or more water skis or upon a surfboard...
• Section 1547.16 - Water Skiing After Dark Prohibited.
  No person shall ride or attempt to ride upon water skis, surfboard, or similar device, or engage or attempt to engage in barefoot skiing,...
• Section 1547.17 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 03-04-1983
• Section 1547.18 - Personal Flotation Device Required.
  (A) No person shall ride or attempt to ride on one or more water skis, surfboard, inflatable device, or similar device being towed by...
• Section 1547.19 - Ski Jumps Prohibited.
  No person shall install or maintain any structure or inclined platform known as a water ski jump on the waters in this state. No...
• Section 1547.20 - Permission For Conducting Special Water Events.
  No person or organization shall conduct any race, regatta, or other special event upon the waters in this state without first obtaining written permission,...
• Section 1547.21 - Requirements For Inflatable Vessel.
  No person shall use or offer for use on the waters in this state any inflatable vessel made of canvas, rubber, synthetic rubber, or...
• Section 1547.22 - Restrictions On Sitting, Standing, Walking On Moving Vessel.
  No occupant of any vessel underway on the waters in this state shall sit, stand, or walk upon any portion of the vessel not...
• Section 1547.23 - Warming-up Engine.
  The pilot or engineer of any powercraft for hire to carry passengers shall not permit passengers to come aboard before the engine of such...
• Section 1547.24 - Personal Flotation Devices Required For Child Under 10.
  No person shall operate or permit to be operated any vessel under eighteen feet in length while there is present in the vessel any...
• Section 1547.25 - Prohibiting Operation Without Personal Flotation Device.
  (A) No person shall operate or permit to be operated any vessel, other than a commercial vessel or other vessel exempted by rules adopted...
• Section 1547.251 - Use Of Approved Distress Signals Or Flags.
  (A) No person shall operate on the waters of Lake Erie or the immediately connecting bays, harbors, and anchorage areas at any time a...
• Section 1547.26 - Requiring Anchor And Line.
  All watercraft, except sailboats less than sixteen feet long having a cockpit depth of less than twelve inches and except canoes, shall carry an...
• Section 1547.27 - Required Fire Extinguishers.
  (A) Except those powercraft propelled by an electric motor and those less than twenty-six feet in length designed for use with an outboard motor,...
• Section 1547.28 - Backfire Flame Control Device.
  Every gasoline engine installed in a vessel after April 25, 1940, except an outboard motor, shall be equipped with an acceptable device to control...
• Section 1547.29 - Ventilation Requirements.
  All powercraft using gasoline or other liquid fuel having a flashpoint of less than 110 F. shall be provided with ventilation as follows: (A)...
• Section 1547.30 - Ordering Storage Of Vessel Or Outboard Motor Left On Private Property.
  (A) As used in this section and sections 1547.301, 1547.302, and 1547.304 of the Revised Code: (1) "Vessel or outboard motor" excludes an abandoned...
• Section 1547.301 - Ordering Storage Of Vessel Or Motor Left In Sunken, Beached, Drifting Or Docked Condition.
  The sheriff of a county, chief of police of a municipal corporation, township, township police district, or joint police district, or other chief of...
• Section 1547.302 - Disposing Of Unclaimed Vessel Or Motor.
  (A) Unclaimed vessels or outboard motors ordered into storage under division (B) of section 1547.30 or section 1547.301 of the Revised Code shall be...
• Section 1547.303 - Disposing Of Abandoned Vessel Or Motor.
  (A) As used in this section and section 1547.304 of the Revised Code: (1) "Abandoned junk vessel or outboard motor" means any vessel or...
• Section 1547.304 - Abandoned Junk Vessel Or Outboard Motor On Private Property.
  No person shall purposely leave an abandoned junk vessel or outboard motor on private property for more than seventy-two hours without the permission of...
• Section 1547.31 - Muffler Or Muffler System Required - Noise Levels.
  (A) Every powercraft operated on the waters in this state shall be equipped at all times with a muffler or a muffler system that...
• Section 1547.32 - Vessel Used As Dwelling Creating Nuisance.
  No person shall use any vessel for the purpose of establishing or maintaining a dwelling which creates a nuisance of either permanent or temporary...
• Section 1547.33 - Restrictions On Sink, Toilet Or Sanitary System.
  Except on the waters of Lake Erie, the Muskingum River, or the Ohio River, no person shall launch, moor, dock, use, operate, or permit...
• Section 1547.331 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 03-04-1983
• Section 1547.34 - Violations Prima Facie Evidence Of Negligence.
  Violations of sections 1547.02 to 1547.36 of the Revised Code, which result in injury to persons or damage to property shall constitute prima-facie evidence...
• Section 1547.35 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 11-01-1965
• Section 1547.36 - Secretary Of State Agent For Service Of Process.
  The operation by a nonresident of a vessel upon the waters in this state, or the operation on the waters in this state of...
• Section 1547.37 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 01-01-1974
• Section 1547.38 - Prohibiting Rental Of Improperly Equipped Vessel.
  No person who lets vessels for hire, or the agent or employee thereof, shall rent, lease, charter, or otherwise permit the use of a...
• Section 1547.39 - Requiring Capacity Plate.
  (A) No person, after January 1, 1977, shall manufacture, sell, or offer for sale any watercraft propelled by machinery as its principal source of...
• Section 1547.40 - Exceeding Capacity Plate Figures.
  (A) No person shall operate or permit to be operated on the waters in this state a watercraft to which a capacity plate is...
• Section 1547.41 - Personal Watercraft Operation Requirements.
  (A) (1) No person shall operate or permit the operation of a personal watercraft unless each person on the watercraft is wearing a type...
• Section 1547.42 - Amended And Renumbered Rc 1547.40.
  Effective Date: 06-13-1990
• Section 1547.49 - Littering Prohibited.
  (A) As used in this section, "litter" means garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, vessel parts, vehicle parts, furniture, glass,...
• Section 1547.51 - Division Of Watercraft - Duties.
  There is hereby created within the department of natural resources the division of watercraft. The division shall do all of the following: (A) Administer...
• Section 1547.52 - Duties Of Chief Of Division.
  (A) The division of watercraft shall be administered by the chief of the division of watercraft. The chief may adopt, amend, and rescind: (1)...
• Section 1547.521 - State Watercraft Officers - Duties.
  (A) The law enforcement officers of the division of watercraft shall be known as "state watercraft officers." The chief of the division of watercraft...
• Section 1547.522 - State Watercraft Officer's Bond - Uniform And Badge.
  (A) Each state watercraft officer, upon his appointment and before entering upon his duties, shall execute a bond in a sum not less than...
• Section 1547.523 - Felony Conviction Precludes Or Terminates Employment.
  (A) As used in this section, "felony" has the same meaning as in section 109.511 of the Revised Code. (B) (1) The chief of...
• Section 1547.53 - Numbering Of Watercraft - Exemptions.
  Every watercraft operated on the waters in this state shall be numbered by this state in accordance with federal law or a federally approved...
• Section 1547.531 - Registration And Documentation - Exemptions.
  (A) (1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) or (B) of this section, no person shall operate or give permission for the operation of...
• Section 1547.532 - Vessels Exempt From Registration.
  (A) All of the following are exempt from registration under this chapter: (1) Sailboards; (2) Kiteboards; (3) Paddleboards; (4) Belly boats or float tubes....
• Section 1547.54 - Applying For Registration Certificate.
  (A) (1) Except as otherwise provided in section 1547.542 of the Revised Code, the owner of every watercraft requiring registration under this chapter shall...
• Section 1547.541 - Historic Watercraft Identification Plates.
  The owner of a watercraft that is more than twenty-five years old, is essentially as originally constructed, and is owned primarily as a collector's...
• Section 1547.542 - Annual Certificate Of Livery Registration.
  (A) Any person or organization owning any number of canoes, rowboats, inflatable watercraft, or sailboats for the purpose of rental to the public may...
• Section 1547.543 - Dealer Or Manufacturer Registration Certificate.
  (A) Any bona fide dealer in watercraft, or any manufacturer of watercraft, upon annual application to the division of watercraft, may receive for each...
• Section 1547.544 - Effect Of Child Support Default On Certificate.
  On receipt of a notice pursuant to section 3123.43 of the Revised Code, the division of watercraft shall comply with sections 3123.41 to 3123.50...
• Section 1547.55 - Moneys Collected Paid Into Waterways Safety Fund.
  All moneys collected by the chief of the division of watercraft under this chapter shall be paid into the waterways safety fund established in...
• Section 1547.56 - Reimbursing Political Subdivisions And Agencies.
  All applications for a registration certificate filed with the chief of the division of watercraft shall bear a notation as to water principally used...
• Section 1547.57 - Watercraft Tags.
  (A) Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of this section, when the chief of the division of watercraft issues a registration certificate under...
• Section 1547.58 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 06-13-1990
• Section 1547.59 - Rendering Assistance After Collision.
  The operator of a vessel involved in a collision, accident, or other casualty, so far as the operator can do so without serious danger...
• Section 1547.60 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 06-13-1990
• Section 1547.61 - Applicable State Laws.
  This chapter and other applicable laws of this state govern the operation, equipment, registration, numbering, and all other matters relating thereto whenever any vessel...
• Section 1547.62 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 07-05-2002
• Section 1547.63 - Enforcement.
  Every sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, deputy marshal, member of the organized police department of any municipal corporation, police constable of any township, wildlife officer,...
• Section 1547.64 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 06-13-1990
• Section 1547.65 - Hull Identification Number.
  (A) A watercraft constructed on or after November 1, 1972, shall have a hull identification number permanently displayed and affixed to it in accordance...
• Section 1547.66 - Alterating Identifying Marks - False Information On Application For Registration.
  No person shall deface or alter any serial number, model designation, or other identifying mark on any watercraft or motor as placed thereon by...
• Section 1547.67 - Establishing And Maintaining Marine Patrols To Enforce Chapter.
  The division of watercraft, with the approval of the director of natural resources, may expend, for the purpose of assisting political subdivisions, conservancy districts,...
• Section 1547.68 - Boating Safety Education Programs.
  To assist political subdivisions, conservancy districts, state departments, or nonprofit organizations in establishing or participating in boating safety education programs, the division of watercraft,...
• Section 1547.69 - Firearm Prohibitions.
  (A) As used in this section: (1) "Firearm," "concealed handgun license," "handgun," and "valid concealed handgun license" have the same meanings as in section...
• Section 1547.71 - Refuge And Small Boat Harbor Agency.
  The division of watercraft shall act as the refuge and small boat harbor agency of the state for the purpose of participating with, and...
• Section 1547.72 - Construction And Operation Of Refuge Harbors.
  (A) The division of watercraft, whenever it considers it in the best interests of the state, and as an aid to lake commerce and...
• Section 1547.721 - [Repealed].
  Repealed by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §105.01, eff. 9/29/2013. Effective Date: 09-29-2005
• Section 1547.722 - [Repealed].
  Repealed by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §105.01, eff. 9/29/2013. Effective Date: 09-29-2005
• Section 1547.723 - [Repealed].
  Repealed by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §105.01, eff. 9/29/2013. Effective Date: 09-29-2005
• Section 1547.724 - [Repealed].
  Repealed by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §105.01, eff. 9/29/2013. Effective Date: 09-29-2005
• Section 1547.725 - [Repealed].
  Repealed by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §105.01, eff. 9/29/2013. Effective Date: 09-29-2005
• Section 1547.726 - [Repealed].
  Repealed by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §105.01, eff. 9/29/2013. Effective Date: 09-29-2005
• Section 1547.73 - Waterways Safety Council.
  There is hereby created in the division of watercraft a waterways safety council composed of five members appointed by the governor with the advice...
• Section 1547.74 - Facilities In Harbors And Connecting Waterways.
  Facilities in harbors and connecting waterways established under sections 1547.71, 1547.72, and 1547.78 of the Revised Code shall be open to all on equal...
• Section 1547.75 - Waterways Safety Fund.
  There is hereby created in the state treasury the waterways safety fund for the purposes provided in this chapter and Chapter 1548. of the...
• Section 1547.76 - State Participation In Federal Program.
  In addition to the other matters contained therein, sections 1547.71 to 1547.77, inclusive, and section 5735.051 of the Revised Code, constitute prima-facie evidence by...
• Section 1547.77 - Action Not In Conflict.
  Any action taken by the chief of the division of watercraft under sections 1547.71 to 1547.78 of the Revised Code, shall not be deemed...
• Section 1547.78 - Gifts, Devises And Bequests.
  The division of watercraft, in carrying out sections 1547.71 to 1547.78, inclusive, of the Revised Code, may accept, receive, and expend gifts, devises, or...
• Section 1547.79 - All Fines, Forfeitures And Penalties Paid To Director For Fund.
  All fines, forfeitures, and penalties arising from prosecutions, convictions, confiscations, or other actions commenced by department of natural resources law enforcement officers, including, but...
• Section 1547.80 - Rules For Security Of Ports And Related Facilities.
  (A) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, the department of natural resources, division of watercraft, in consultation with the department...
• Section 1547.81 - Creating Wild, Scenic, Or Recreational River Areas.
  The director of natural resources or the director's representative may create, supervise, operate, protect, and maintain wild, scenic, and recreational river areas . In...
• Section 1547.82 - Approving Structures And Channel Modifications.
  No state department, state agency, or political subdivision shall build or enlarge any highway, road, or structure or modify or cause the modification of...
• Section 1547.83 - Administering Program And Areas.
  The chief of the division of watercraft shall administer the state programs for wild river areas, scenic river areas, and recreational river areas. The...
• Section 1547.84 - Advisory Council Appointed For Each Area.
  The director of natural resources shall appoint an advisory council for each wild, scenic, or recreational river area, composed of not more than ten...
• Section 1547.85 - Participation In Federal Protection Program.
  The director of natural resources may participate in the federal program for the protection of certain selected rivers that are located within the boundaries...
• Section 1547.86 - Reconciliation Of Powers.
  Any action taken by the chief of the division of watercraft under sections 1547.81 to 1547.87 of the Revised Code shall not be deemed...
• Section 1547.87 - Division Of Watercraft Powers.
  The division of watercraft, in carrying out sections 1547.81 to 1547.87 of the Revised Code, may accept, receive, and expend gifts, devises, or bequests...
• Section 1547.91 - Wrecking.
  No person, with purpose to unlawfully damage, ground, or sink a vessel afloat, shall do any of the following: (A) Employ any false signal,...
• Section 1547.92 - Prohibited Acts.
  No person shall knowingly: (A) Damage, remove, or tamper with any signal, buoy, or other aid to navigation; (B) Sever the mooring lines of,...
• Section 1547.93 - [Repealed].
  Effective Date: 09-03-1976
• Section 1547.99 - Penalty.
  (A) Whoever violates section 1547.91 of the Revised Code is guilty of a felony of the fourth degree. (B) Whoever violates division (F) of...

Last modified: October 10, 2016