Title XXII, Navigation; Harbors; Coast Survey

Notwithstanding any other provision of law except RSA 270:30-a, sailboards shall not be required to be equipped with personal flotation devices, and persons on sailboards shall not be required to wear these devices or to have them readily available. For the purposes of this secti…

I. (a) "Engine cut-off switch (ECOS)" means a system of lanyards, electronic switches, fobs, or similar devices manufactured specifically for the purpose of disabling propulsion or a vessel engine when the operator is unexpectedly displaced from the vessel's helm. (b) "Headway sp…

I. Any person engaged in scuba diving on any of the public waters of the state and any person engaged in snorkeling in normally traveled navigable public waters shall have a diver's flag, consisting of a red flag with a diagonal white stripe, displayed indicating that diving acti…

Any person violating the provisions of RSA 270:31 shall be subject to the following penalties: I. If the offense occurs prior to November 1, 1973, he shall be fined not more than $25 for each offense. II. If the offense occurs on or after November 1, 1973, he shall be guilty of a…

An operator of any unofficial or unauthorized watercraft of any type approaching within 150 feet of a diver's flag being displayed in accordance with RSA 270:31, shall be subject to the penalties provided in RSA 270:32, I and II. Official watercraft shall use precaution when offi…

No person shall put, place, operate, or cause to be put, placed, or operated in the waters of this state any so-called heating, agitating, or other device which inhibits or prevents the natural freezing of water, or forming of ice, and thereby impedes either the ingress or egress…

Any person operating or hereinafter operating any such agitating or heating device which tends to inhibit the natural production of ice on public waters must obtain a registration to be designed and distributed by the department of safety, from the municipal clerk of the town in …

Any person seeking to operate a device tending to inhibit the natural production of ice on public waters in violation of this subdivision shall be, if a natural person, guilty of a violation and if any other person, guilty of a misdemeanor, and the activity enjoined by the court …

In this subdivision: I. "Director" means the director of the division of state police. II. "Marine engine" means a motor, including an outboard motor, suitable for the propulsion of a boat upon water.

I. No person may operate, sell, or offer for sale any marine engine which is capable of being operated in a manner which exceeds the following noise levels measured under any testing procedure established pursuant to rules adopted under RSA 270:39: (a) For a marine engine manufac…

I. The director or the director's agent may use stationary sound level testing to determine marine engine noise levels for boats. Such testing shall be conducted while boats are stationary on the water according to test SAE J2005. II. Noise levels in decibels for stationary sound…

Any marine engine manufactured after December 31, 1976 and offered for sale in this state shall be certified to the director as having been tested and found not to exceed the noise levels prescribed in RSA 270:37, I. An outboard motor shall be certified by the motor manufacturer.…

The commissioner of safety shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to: I. Testing procedures to determine marine engine noise levels. II. Certification under RSA 270:38. III. Testing procedures for stationary sound level testing, as authorized by RSA 270:37-a, to deter…

The owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of a location at or adjacent to which one or more houseboats are anchored, beached, grounded or tied to the shore for an overnight period, or for any part of an overnight period, shall promptly thereafter give notice of this fact,…

The following vessels shall be exempt from registration and display of a boat fee decal in this state: I. Sailboats under 12 feet in length, rowboats and canoes powered by sail, oars, paddles, or other human power. Any vessel which has an inboard or outboard motor shall not be ex…

The director of state police shall notify the owner, if known, of the fact of such impoundment, removal, and storage. If the abandoned boat is registered in this state, such notification shall be mailed to the person identified as the owner on the registration at the address list…

Any person who undertakes any of the following activities on the public waters of the state shall first obtain a permit from the commissioner, subject to such conditions as he shall establish by rule: I. Sponsor a water event, including but not limited to, a carnival or exhibitio…

Any person who participates in a water event for which a permit has not been issued as required by RSA 270-D:4, shall be guilty of a violation and fined not less than $100. Any person who continues to participate in or refuses to disperse from the location of such an event after …

No person may remove or alter the propulsion unit, the enclosure or any part of a marine engine or modify the mounting of a marine engine in or upon a boat in such a manner as to exceed the noise levels prescribed in RSA 270:37.

This subdivision shall not apply to: I. A motorboat competing under a permit issued by the director in a regatta, boat race, trial run for a speed record or official trial for a speed record during the time and in the designated area authorized by the permit. II. A motorboat prep…

Any person who violates the provisions of RSA 270:25, 270:37, or 270:40, or any person who owns a boat which is operated with his permission or assent in violation of RSA 270:25, 270:37, or 270:40 shall be guilty of a violation for a first offense and guilty of a misdemeanor for …

In this subdivision: I. "Dinghy" means a boat primarily used as a means of travel to and from, and used only in conjunction with, the owner's principal boat. II. "Lifeboat" means a boat principally used for rescue purposes and associated with a larger vessel. III. "Occupied" mean…

I. The commissioner of safety, pursuant to RSA 541-A, shall adopt rules which shall be binding on all persons owning, leasing or operating boats and which: (a) Further define and regulate the practice of rafting of boats; and (b) Designate prohibited locations or times, in or dur…

Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no person shall, in a prohibited location or at a prohibited time: I. Form or allow the boat which he is operating or in charge of to be a member of a raft consisting of 3 or more boats; II. Form or allow the boat which he is oper…

The provisions of RSA 270:44 shall not apply to: I. Boats anchored or moored at marinas or yacht clubs or private docks with the owner's permission; II. Boats involved in or attending a fireworks display, a boat parade, a boat race, or any other such public events as the director…

A person shall be guilty of a violation if he: I. Fails to comply with the provisions of this subdivision or any rule adopted thereunder; II. Refuses to cooperate with a law enforcement officer in the determination of compliance with the provisions of this subdivision or any rule…

I. The registration fees for commercial, private, and pleasure vessels, including rentals and airboats shall be as follows: (a) Up to and including 16 feet $24 (b) 16.1 feet to 21 feet $34 (c) 21.1 feet to 30 feet $52 (d) 30.1 feet to 45 feet $72 (e) 45.1 feet and over $92 II. In…

If any person shall violate any provision of this chapter relative to mooring a houseboat overnight in a prohibited location, he shall be guilty of a violation. Each night of mooring a houseboat in a prohibited location shall be considered a separate violation.

The owner of the boat may redeem the boat within 90 days of its removal by payment of the fees and release of the lien identified in RSA 270-B:3.

No vessel shall be operated while carrying passengers or cargo beyond its safe carrying capacity, taking into consideration weather and other operating conditions.

I. No person shall put, place, or operate a vessel on any waters of the state, including tidal and coastal waters and all inland waters, unless the vessel displays a boat fee decal as required in this chapter or is exempt as provided in RSA 270-E:4. II. The cost of the boat fee d…

In this subdivision: I. "Director" means the director, division of state police, department of safety. II. "Division" means the division of state police, department of safety. III. "Mooring" when used as a noun, means a mooring anchor, or other fixed object or stationary point, w…

No person who impounds, removes, or stores or who is in charge of the storage of any such abandoned boat pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be liable for any damages to the boat arising out of the impoundment, removal, or storage thereof.

All vessels afloat on public waters may be inspected by the commissioner or his duly authorized representative, to determine their seaworthiness and safety equipment at any time. No person shall allow any vessel which fails to pass such inspection to be used or operated on the wa…

Although required to register under RSA 270-E:3, vessels owned or operated by the state or any subdivision thereof shall be exempt from registration fees.

If any person shall violate any provision of this chapter relative to giving the required notification of mooring to the New Hampshire department of environmental services, upon conviction thereof, he shall be guilty of a violation.

There is established the navigation safety fund which shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the department of safety, division of state police. The state treasurer may invest moneys in the fund as provided by law and all interest received on such investment shall be…

I. The general court finds that: (a) Water is a public resource held in trust by the state and that the state maintains jurisdiction to control the use of public waters for the greatest public benefit; and (b) The public waters are a significant asset which enhance the well-being…

I. Any person erecting, installing, maintaining, or exercising control over a mooring on Lake Winnipesaukee; Lake Winnisquam; Squam Lakes; Newfound Lake; Ossipee Lake; and Lake Sunapee shall obtain a mooring permit from the division as provided in this subdivision. II. Any person…

I. The commissioner of safety shall, after receiving a petition signed by 25 or more residents or property owners of each affected town or towns in which a lake, pond, or river is located and after notice and hearing at which it appears that the public interest requires the use o…

I. The division shall issue a decal containing a control number for any mooring to any person who has completed the permit application procedure adopted pursuant to RSA 270:71 and met the requirements of this subdivision and applicable rules. A record of the issuance of the decal…

I. A mooring permit shall not be construed as ownership of any real or personal property and shall not be transferred to any other person or location by gift, sale, lease, or rent except as provided in RSA 270:67. II. No person shall charge or be charged for the use of a mooring …

I. No mooring shall be located: (a) In such a manner that it constitutes a hazard to the public safety because it interferes with or impedes, or could potentially interfere with or impede, navigation; or (b) In such proximity to other moorings as to constitute a hazard to public …

I. (a) No person shall dock, moor, make fast, or otherwise secure a vessel to a dock, mooring, or pier of another, knowing that the person is not licensed or privileged to do so. (b) No person shall anchor within an approved congregate or public mooring field. II. The commissione…

The division of state police shall propose rules to develop standards for granting special exceptions for the placement of from 2 to 4 moorings adjacent to a shorefront property. The placement of 5 or more moorings adjacent to a shorefront property shall require approval pursuant…

I. The director or his agents shall remove or cause the removal of, or shall move or cause the moving of, any mooring, mooring component, or boat attached to it, or any combination thereof, which: (a) Is in violation of RSA 270:63; or (b) Is in violation of RSA 270:64; or (c) Doe…