General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 90B Motorboats, Other Vessels and Recreational Vehicles
- Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions - Chapter 90B, Section 1
 In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words shall have the following meanings: “Amphibious landing vehicle”,—a motor vehicle that can travel on...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Numbering; exceptions - Chapter 90B, Section 2
 Every motorboat on the waters of the commonwealth shall be numbered in accordance with this chapter, except:— (1) A motorboat owned in a country other...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Application for certificate of number; display - Chapter 90B, Section 3
 (a) Subject to the exceptions listed in section two, the owner of any motorboat principally used in the commonwealth shall file an application for number...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Lost, destroyed or mutilated certificates of number; replacement - Chapter 90B, Section 4
 If a certificate of number is lost, destroyed, or so mutilated as to be illegible, the owner shall, within fifteen days, notify the division in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Altering, forging or counterfeiting certificates of number of motorboat; penalty - Chapter 90B, Section 4A
 Whoever falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits, or procures or assists another to falsely make, alter, forge or counterfeit, a certificate of number of a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Removal, defacing, etc. of identification number of motorboat, motor or engine; penalties - Chapter 90B, Section 4B
 Whoever removes, defaces, alters, changes, destroys, obliterates or mutilates, or causes to be removed or destroyed or in any way defaced, altered, changed, obliterated or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Classes of motorboats; required lighting, signaling and fire extinguishing and control devices - Chapter 90B, Section 5
 (a) Motorboats subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be divided into four classes as follows:— Class A. Less than sixteen feet in length....
- Massachusetts General Laws - Personal floatation devices - Chapter 90B, Section 5A
 Every vessel not subject to the provisions of section five shall carry one Coast Guard approved personal floatation device of Type I, II or III...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Automatic shut-off nozzle for motorboat fuel dispensing devices; fine - Chapter 90B, Section 5B
 Each pump or other dispensing device used to provide motor fuel for motorboats shall be equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle which shall not be...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Discharge of sewage into waters designated as a no discharge area; fine - Chapter 90B, Section 5C
 Any person that discharges sewage, whether treated or not, from a marine sanitation device into any waters of the commonwealth designated by the secretary of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Violations of Sec. 37B of Chapter 21; penalties - Chapter 90B, Section 5D
 (a) Whoever violates subsection (g) of section 37B of chapter 21, or any rule, regulation order or quarantine promulgated thereunder, shall be punished by a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Exhaust; use of cutouts - Chapter 90B, Section 6
 The exhaust of every internal combustion engine on any motorboat shall be effectively muffled by a muffler or underwater exhaust of a type or types...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Compliance with Sec. 5; pre-requisite to departure from boat livery - Chapter 90B, Section 7
 Neither the owner of a boat livery, nor his agent or employee shall permit any motorboat or any vessel permitted by him to be operated...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Operation while under influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotics, etc.; breath or blood testing; water skiing; professional exhibitions - Chapter 90B, Section 8
 (a) (1) No person shall operate any vessel on the waters of the commonwealth with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in their blood of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Operation of a vessel while under the influence of controlled substances causing serious bodily injury; penalties; parole, probation or furlough; license revocation - Chapter 90B, Section 8A
 (1) Whoever operates a vessel on the waters of the commonwealth with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in their blood of eight one-hundredths or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Operation of a vessel under the influence of a controlled substance causing death; penalties; probation, parole or furlough; license revocation - Chapter 90B, Section 8B
 (1) Whoever operates a vessel on the waters of the commonwealth with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in their blood of eight one-hundredths or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Accidents; duty of operator; reports - Chapter 90B, Section 9
 (a) The operator of any motorboat involved in a collision, accident or other casualty shall, so far as he is able without serious danger to...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Jet ski, surf jet or wetbike operation - Chapter 90B, Section 9A
 No person shall operate a jet ski, surf jet or wetbike (a) on waters of the commonwealth unless the person is sixteen years of age...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Educational safety program; jet skis, surf jets and wetbikes - Chapter 90B, Section 9B
 The division of law enforcement within the department of fisheries and wildlife is hereby authorized and directed to establish an educational safety program for the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Requests for information or records from federal agencies - Chapter 90B, Section 10
 In accordance with any request duly made by an authorized official or agency of the United States, any information compiled or otherwise available to the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Powers and duties of director - Chapter 90B, Section 11
 The director shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter, and, for such purposes, is authorized to make rules and regulations not contrary to...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Enforcement of chapter - Chapter 90B, Section 12
 The provisions of this chapter and all rules and regulations made under the authority thereof shall be enforced by the director, deputy directors of enforcement,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Operation without personal flotation devices or in overloaded or unsafe condition - Chapter 90B, Section 12A
 Any officer authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter who observes a motorboat or vessel being used without personal flotation devices required under this...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Arrest without warrant; entry upon private lands - Chapter 90B, Section 13
 Any officer empowered to enforce this chapter may arrest without a warrant any person who the officer has probable cause to believe has violated or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Scuba divers; display of diver’s flag required - Chapter 90B, Section 13A
 Every scuba diver or group of scuba divers while swimming on or under the surface of the waters of the commonwealth shall display for each...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Penalties; proceedings - Chapter 90B, Section 14
 (a) Whoever violates any provision of section two, three, four, six or nine A or of any rule or regulation pertaining thereto shall be punished...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Scope of chapter; local regulations; approval of ordinances and by-laws - Chapter 90B, Section 15
 (a) The provisions of this chapter shall govern the numbering, operation, equipment and all other matters relating thereto of any vessel subject to the provisions...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1977, 363A, Sec. 63 - Chapter 90B, Section 16
 Repealed, 1977, 363A, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Enforcing officers; reports to director - Chapter 90B, Section 17
 Every officer authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter or any rule, regulation, ordinance or by-law made under authority hereof shall report to the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Laws applicable - Chapter 90B, Section 18
 The provisions of chapter thirty A shall be applicable to this chapter in so far as not inconsistent therewith.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Severability - Chapter 90B, Section 19
 If any provisions of sections one through eighteen, inclusive, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, shall be held invalid, the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions applicable to Secs. 21 to 35 - Chapter 90B, Section 20
 In sections twenty-one to thirty-five, inclusive, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:— “All-terrain vehicle”, a motorized recreational vehicle...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Recreation vehicle safety and responsibility course - Chapter 90B, Section 21
 No person under 18 years of age shall operate a recreation vehicle unless he has successfully completed a recreation vehicle safety and responsibility course approved...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Registration; application; period; certificate; name and address; transferability; fees - Chapter 90B, Section 22
 No person shall operate a snow vehicle or recreation vehicle unless the vehicle has been registered in accordance with this chapter and a registration number...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Transfer of ownership - Chapter 90B, Section 23
 Within two days after transfer of ownership of a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle, written notice shall be forwarded to the director by the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Lights; reflectors; excessive noise; noxious fumes - Chapter 90B, Section 24
 Each snow vehicle and each recreation vehicle shall be equipped with one or more headlights, a red rear light, a red rear reflector, and adequate...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Operation on public ways; emergencies; regulations - Chapter 90B, Section 25
 Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall operate a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle upon any state, county, city or town way in the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Prohibited or limited operation by underage persons; restrictions - Chapter 90B, Section 26
 (a)(1) No person under 14 years of age shall operate an all terrain vehicle or recreation utility vehicle. This section shall not apply to a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Operation of snow or recreation vehicle while under influence of alcohol or other intoxicants; punishment - Chapter 90B, Section 26A
 (a) Whoever being 21 years of age or older operates a snow vehicle or recreation vehicle: (1) with a percentage, by weight, of alcohol in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Negligent or reckless operation of snow or recreation vehicle; leaving the scene of an accident; negligent or reckless operation of snow or recreation vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury or death; punishment - Chapter 90B, Section 26B
 (a) Whoever operates a snow vehicle or recreation vehicle recklessly or operates a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle negligently so that the lives or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Forfeiture of snow or recreation vehicle due to violation of Sec. 26B or subsequent violation of Sec. 26; petition; hearing; dispensation of proceeds from sale of vehicle upon forfeiture - Chapter 90B, Section 26C
 (a) Upon a conviction or adjudication by reason of a violation of subsections (c) to (e), inclusive, of section 26B or upon a second or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Summons for violation of Secs. 26A or 26B - Chapter 90B, Section 26D
 A summons may be issued instead of a warrant for arrest upon a complaint for a violation of section 26A or 26B if in the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Permitting underage operation of snow or recreation vehicle; joint and several liability for resulting damages - Chapter 90B, Section 26E
 (a) Any person age 18 or older with custody or control of a snow vehicle or recreation vehicle, who knowingly permits another, who is under...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Accident reports - Chapter 90B, Section 27
 The operator or owner of a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle involved in a collision, accident or other such casualty resulting in death or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Suspension or revocation of registration; hearing - Chapter 90B, Section 28
 The director may suspend or revoke the registration of a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle, after a hearing, for good cause which shall include,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Suspension of license and revocation of registration of snow or recreation vehicle due to violation of Sec. 26B; underage violations - Chapter 90B, Section 28A
 Notwithstanding section 28, upon conviction of, or adjudication of delinquency by reason of a violation of subsections (c) to (e), inclusive, of section 26B the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Suspension of license and revocation of registration of snow or recreation vehicle due to violation of Sec. 26A; underage violations - Chapter 90B, Section 28B
 Notwithstanding section 28, upon conviction of, or adjudication of delinquency by reason of a violation of section 26A, the registrar shall immediately suspend the operator’s...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rules and regulations - Chapter 90B, Section 29
 The director shall, after a public hearing make, alter, amend or rescind rules and regulations governing the use and operation of snow vehicles and recreation
- Massachusetts General Laws - Nonresident recreational vehicles - Chapter 90B, Section 30
 A recreational vehicle owned by a resident in another state may be deemed to be registered in the commonwealth if it is registered in accordance...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Municipal assessments - Chapter 90B, Section 31
 Snow vehicles and recreation vehicles shall be considered as personal property for purposes of assessment by municipalities.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Regulations; enforcement; reports of violations - Chapter 90B, Section 32
 Sections 21 to 34, inclusive, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder shall be enforced by law enforcement officers; provided, however, that any investigation, arrest...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Local or departmental regulation; trespassing - Chapter 90B, Section 33
 Nothing contained in sections twenty-one to thirty-two, inclusive, shall be construed to supersede the powers of any department of the commonwealth, nor of any city,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; punishment - Chapter 90B, Section 34
 Whoever violates any provision of sections 21 to 24, inclusive, or any rule or regulation made thereunder, shall be punished by a fine of not...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Disposition of fines - Chapter 90B, Section 35
 Notwithstanding the provisions relative to the distribution of fines, penalties and forfeitures in section 10G of chapter 21A to the contrary, of the fines collected...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Titled motorboats; certificates of title - Chapter 90B, Section 36
 (a) For purposes of this section the following terms shall have the following meanings: “Titled motorboat”, any vessel of fourteen feet or greater in length...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Statement to be provided to defendant - Chapter 90B, Section 37
 Upon conviction of any violation of the provisions of this chapter, the defendant shall be provided a statement in writing, in easy to understand language,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to disclose name and address, to stop when signaled, or to produce certificate of number - Chapter 90B, Section 38
 Any person who, while operating or in charge of a vessel shall refuse, when requested by any officer empowered to enforce this chapter, to give...
Last modified: September 11, 2015