Title 52

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates this article or any rule or regulation promulgated hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes of establishing criminal violations of the rules and regulations promulgated by the board as provi…

As used in this article, the term: (1) The term ‘‘alcohol concentration’’ means grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. (1.1) ‘‘Blind point’’ means that portion of any of the waters of this state in which there is a natural or m…

The Interstate Boating Violator Compact is enacted into law and entered into by the State of Georgia with any and all states legally joining therein in accordance with its terms. The compact is substantially as follows: ‘‘INTERSTATE BOATING VIOLATOR COMPACT ARTICLE I. TITLE This …

(a) The commissioner of natural resources shall appoint an Interstate Boating Violator Compact administrator for this state. Such administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. (b) The department may suspend the operating privileges of any person to operate a vess…

(a) Every vessel using the waters of this state shall be numbered, except those vessels exempted by Code Section 52-7-6 and those vessels documented by the United States Coast Guard and licensed pursuant to Code Section 27-2-8. No person shall operate or give permission for the o…

(a) The owner of each vessel required to be numbered by this article shall file an application for a certificate of number with the department on forms containing such information required by the department. Upon receipt of the completed application and any other required informati…

A vessel shall not be required to be numbered under Code Sections 52-7-4 and 52-7-5 if it is: (1) Not motor propelled; provided, however, that sailboats 12 feet or more in length shall require registration; (2) Covered by a certificate of number in full force and effect which has …

(a) Any dealer may obtain certificates of number to be used only for the purpose of testing or demonstrating vessels owned by the dealer. The fee for the first certificate of number issued to any dealer for each vessel classification shall be the same fee as prescribed in subsection …

(a) No person shall operate on the waters of this state a vessel manufactured after November 1, 1972, unless the vessel displays an assigned hull identification number as required by the United States Coast Guard or by the issuing authority, except any of those vessels exempted by…

Each vessel manufactured or built after April 14, 2006, for sale in this state shall have a hull identification number displayed prior to sale or delivery for sale in accordance with federal law and this article. The hull identification number shall not be altered or replaced by th…

(a) If the hull identification number on a vessel required by Code Section 52-7-7.1 or 52-7-7.2 to have a hull identification number does not exist or has been altered, removed, destroyed, covered, or defaced or the real identity of the vessel cannot be determined, the vessel, and …

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly possess, manufacture, sell or exchange, offer to sell or exchange, aid in the sale or exchange, supply in blank, authorize, direct, or give away any counterfeit HIN, any counterfeit manufacturer’s vessel HIN plate or decal, or …

A vessel shall not be required to have a hull identification number under Code Section 52-7-7.1 or 52-7-7.2 if it is: (1) An innertube; or (2) A vessel used exclusively for racing. History. — Code 1981, § 52-7-7.6, enacted by Ga. L. 2006, p. 96, § 5/HB 1490.

(a) Classification. Vessels subject to the provisions of this article shall be divided into four classes as follows: (1) Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less than 16 feet in length (2) Class 1 .................................... 16 feet or ov…

(a)(1) The General Assembly finds that because of the increasing number of vessels having marine toilets which are operated or moored on Allatoona Lake, Lake Blackshear, Clarks Hill Lake, Hartwell Lake, Lake Sidney Lanier, Lake Oconee, Lake Seminole, Lake Sinclair, Russell Lake, W…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Accompanied by’’ means in the physical presence within the vessel of a person who is not under the influence of alcohol, toxic vapors, or drugs to a degree which would constitute a violation of Code Section 52-7-12 were such person…

(a) A person 16 years of age or older may operate any vessel or personal watercraft on any of the waters of this state if such person has met the applicable requirements of Code Section 52-7-22, and such person has in such vessel proper identification. (b) A person 12 through 15 y…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Anchorage restriction areas’’ means areas within the estuarine areas of this state in any location that lies within 300 feet of a marina, 150 feet from a marine structure other than a marina, or within 500 feet of approved commerc…

(a) The owner of a boat livery shall cause to be kept a record of the name and address of the person or persons hiring any vessel, the identification number thereof, the departure date and time, and the expected time of return. The record shall be preserved for at least six months…

As used in this article, the term: (1) ‘‘Capacity plate’’ means a plate attached to watercraft with information thereon as provided in this article. (2) ‘‘Manufacturer’’ means a person, firm, or corporation who constructs or assembles a watercraft or alters a watercraft in such ma…

It shall be unlawful to manufacture, sell, or offer for sale in this state any watercraft to which a capacity plate has not been attached. History. — Ga. L. 1971, p. 419, § 2.

A capacity plate shall bear the following information, permanently marked thereon in such manner as to be clearly visible and legible from the position designed or normally intended to be occupied by the operator of the watercraft when the watercraft is in operation: (1) For all …

The information relating to maximum capacity which is required to appear on capacity plates by Code Section 52-7-42 shall be determined in accordance with such methods and formulas as shall be prescribed by rules or regulations adopted by the Board of Natural Resources. In prescr…

Any person may affix a capacity plate to any watercraft to which this article applies and which does not have a capacity plate meeting the requirements of law affixed thereto by the manufacturer thereof in accordance with such rules and regulations as the Board of Natural Resourc…

The information appearing on a capacity plate shall be deemed to be a warranty: (1) That the manufacturer or other person affixing a capacity plate as permitted by Code Section 52-7-44 has correctly and faithfully employed a method and formula for the calculation of maximum weigh…

If any watercraft which is required by this article to have a capacity plate affixed thereto is of such design or construction as to make it impracticable or undesirable to affix such plate, the manufacturer or other person having the responsibility for affixing the plate may rep…

The Board of Natural Resources may, by rules and regulations, exempt any watercraft from the requirements of this article which it finds to be of such unconventional design or construction that the information required on capacity plates would not assist in promoting safety or tha…

The Board of Natural Resources is authorized to promulgate, issue, and amend rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this article. History. — Ga. L. 1971, p. 419, § 9.

Nothing contained within this article shall be construed so as to apply to any person who shall manufacture or construct a watercraft for his own personal use and so long as such watercraft remains the property of the person who manufactured or constructed such watercraft. Histor…

This article shall apply to watercraft manufactured after January 1, 1972. History. — Ga. L. 1971, p. 419, § 11.

(a) Any person who violates this article or any rules and regulations issued hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes of establishing criminal violations of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Board of Natural Resources as provided in this article, the te…

As used in this article, the term: (1) ‘‘Abandoned vessel’’ means a vessel: (A) Which has been left by the owner or some person acting for the owner with a vessel dealer, repairman, or wrecker service for repair or for some other reason and has not been called for by such owner o…

(a) Any person who removes a vessel from public property or public water at the request of a law enforcement officer or stores such vessel shall, if the owner of the vessel is unknown, seek the identity of and address of the last known registered owner of such vessel from the law…

(a) Any peace officer who finds a vessel which has been left unattended in or upon any public waters or other public property for a period of at least five days, if such peace officer reasonably believes that the person who left such vessel unattended does not intend to return and …

(a)(1) If any vessel for which the Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Crime Information Center have received notice pursuant to subsection (d) of Code Section 52-7-72 has not been removed and is determined not to be a stolen vessel, the commissioner may proceed to ta…

(a) Any person who removes or stores any vessel which is or becomes an abandoned vessel shall have a lien on such vessel for the reasonable fees connected with such removal or storage plus the cost of any advertisement. Prior to acquiring such lien, the person must have complied …

All liens acquired under Code Section 52-7-73 shall be foreclosed as follows: (1) Any proceeding to foreclose a lien on an abandoned vessel must be instituted within one year from the time the lien is recorded or is asserted by retention; (2) The person desiring to foreclose a li…

(a)(1) As used in this subsection, the term ‘‘public sale’’ means a sale: (A) Held at a place reasonably available to persons who might desire to attend and submit bids; (B) At which those attending shall be given the opportunity to bid on a competitive basis; (C) At which the sa…

The purchaser at a sale as authorized in this article shall receive a certified copy of the court order authorizing such sale. Any such purchaser may obtain a certificate of title to such vessel by filing the required application, paying the required fees, and filing a certified copy …

The clerk of the court shall retain the remaining balance of the proceeds of a sale conducted under Code Section 52-7-75, after satisfaction of liens, security interests, and debts, for a period of 12 months; and, if no claim has been filed against such proceeds by the owner of th…

Speed restrictions on vessels towing within certain areas, §52-7-18. WATER SUPPLY. Canal companies. Furnishing of canal water by companies, §52-4-11. Principal and income act. Receipts from interest in water. Allocation, §53-12-427. WEIRS. Canal companies, §§52-4-8, 52-4-10. WEST…

Any master of a vessel or watercraft who shall throw or permit to be thrown any stone, gravel, or other ballast from on board the vessel or watercraft into any of the waters of any bay or harbor of this state or within three miles of the outside bar of any such bay or harbor shal…

Every pilot having knowledge of the discharge of any stone, gravel, or other ballast in any bay or harbor of this state, or within three miles of the outside bar of any such bay or harbor, as specified in Code Section 52-8-1, must give information thereof to the Board of Pilotage …

Upon receipt by the Board of Pilotage Commissioners of satisfactory evidence of the offense specified in Code Section 52-8-1, it shall be the duty of the board to proceed to recover the forfeiture provided for in that Code section by process of attachment in the name of the state,…

The corporate authorities of any municipality in this state are authorized, within their respective jurisdictions, to prohibit, under proper penalties, the throwing or depositing in navigable waters of any substance of any nature or kind which might in any degree lessen the depth…

The corporate authorities of any municipality in this state are authorized, within their respective jurisdictions, to prohibit under proper penalties the throwing or depositing in navigable waters, of any substance which they might consider dangerous to navigation or injurious to…