Title 46, Title 46 and Navigation

(a) No regatta, motorboat or other boat race, marine parade, tournament, or exhibition (but not including a navigational or piloting contest), in which vessels participating are to be propelled by machinery, may be held on any waters of this state unless authorized by the departm…

(a) The director of the department of environmental management is hereby authorized, when necessary for the safety of the public and/or protection of the environment, to establish temporary safety zones on the waters of this state for the purposes of restricting vessel traffic, a…

All ships whose primary cargo is liquefied natural gas as defined in U.S.C. title 49, § 60101(11) shall have at least thirty feet (30′) of clearance under all of Rhode Island’s bridges. This section shall not apply to boats under sail.

(a) The provisions of this chapter, and of other applicable laws of this state, shall govern the operation, equipment, numbering, and all other matters relating thereto whenever any vessel shall be operated on the waters of this state, or when any activity regulated by this chapt…

The owner of a vessel shall be liable for any injury or damage occasioned by the negligent operation of the vessel, whether the negligence consists of a violation of the provisions of the statutes of this state, or neglecting to observe such ordinary care and such operation as th…

Operation of a motorboat on the waters of this state by a nonresident person, his or her servant, or agent shall be deemed equivalent to an appointment by the nonresident of the secretary of state and the secretary’s successor in office, to be his or her true and lawful attorney,…

Service of process as described in § 46-22-15.1, shall be made by leaving a copy of the process with a fee of five dollars ($5.00) in the office of the secretary of state in the hands of the secretary or someone acting in the secretary’s stead and such service shall be sufficient…

The fee of five dollars ($5.00), paid by the plaintiff to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles at the time of the service shall be taxed in the plaintiff’s costs if he or she prevails in the suit. The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall keep a rec…

The director is authorized to promulgate regulations governing the issuance of fourteen (14) day temporary numbers to be used by qualified manufacturers or dealers in transporting or demonstrating motorboats. The director may set rules qualifying dealers and manufacturers.

The department of environmental management, harbormasters, assistant harbormasters, police officers authorized to make arrests, and employees of the department of environmental management, authorized to make arrests under the provisions of §§ 2-12-8, 20-1-12, and 20-1-15, shall h…

(a) Employees of the department of environmental management, authorized to make arrests under the provisions of chapter 1 of title 20, shall, in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter, be deemed officers within the meaning of § 11-32-1 and shall have th…

The director of the department of environmental management and the director’s deputies and assistants may, by virtue of their respective offices, make complaints of any violations of this chapter, and they shall not be required, either jointly or individually, to give recognizanc…

It shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), for any person to refuse to move or stop on oral command or order of any employee of the department of environmental management in the exercise of the employee’s duties under this chapter…

All money collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid into a restricted receipt account of the department of environmental management to be made available and shall be allocated, distributed and used in amounts sufficient to fully fund: (1) Expenses of the depart…

In addition to any other penalties specified in this chapter: (1) Any person who violates any provision of §§ 46-22-3 — 46-22-5, 46-22-8, 46-22-9.2, 46-22-10, and 46-22-13, or who violates any rule or regulation made under the provisions of those sections shall be guilty of a civ…

As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning: (1) “Director” means the director of the department of environmental management. (2) “Motorboat” means any vessel whether or not the vessel is propelled by machinery. For purposes of this chapter, m…

The provisions of this chapter shall be severable and, if any of the provisions shall be held invalid, the decision of the court respecting that provision or provisions shall not affect the validity of any other provision which can be given effect without that invalid provision.

The operator or owner of a vessel on the waters of this state, involved, or whose vessel is involved, in an accident, casualty, vandalism, or theft in excess of two thousand dollars ($2,000), or other casualty which results in death or injury to a person, shall report the same, a…

The owner of a vessel involved in an accident, casualty, vandalism, or theft in excess of five hundred dollars ($500), shall, within five (5) days after the incident, forward a written report of the incident to the department of environmental management, on forms provided by the …

The Warwick park and waterfront development commission is hereby authorized to establish maximum speed limits for boats in the public harbors of the city of Warwick at five (5) miles per hour. Any speed limits duly established by the commission, pursuant hereto, shall have the fo…

(a) Any person scuba diving, skin diving, or snorkeling in an area where power or motor boats are operated, shall place a warning flag on a buoy at a place of his or her submergence, the flag to be at least twelve by twelve inches (12" X 12") with a white stripe running from the …

The director is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the enforcement or implementation of this chapter.

If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, any invalidity shall not affect the provisions or application of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this en…

(a) Every motorboat on the waters of this state shall be numbered. (b) No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of any motorboat on those waters unless the motorboat is numbered in accordance with this chapter, or in accordance with applicable federal law, or …

(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), the owner of each motorboat shall file biennially an application for registration with the department of environmental management on forms approved by the director. The application shall be accompanied by a registration fee a…

(a) Motorboats subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be divided into four (4) classes as follows: (1) Class A. Less than sixteen feet (16′) in length. (2) Class 1. Sixteen feet (16′) or over and less than twenty-six feet (26′) in length. (3) Class 2. Twenty-six feet (26…

A motorboat shall not be required to be numbered under this chapter if it is: (1) Already covered by a number in full force and effect which has been awarded to it pursuant to federal law or federally approved numbering system of another state; provided, however, in the event the…

(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 which is designed or permitted by him or her to be operated as a motorboat; the identification number thereof; and the departure date and time, and th…

The exhaust of every internal combustion engine used on any motorboat shall be effectively muffled by equipment so constructed and used as to muffle the noise of the exhaust in a reasonable manner. Outboard motors shall be equipped with underwater exhausts of standard manufacture…

(a) No person shall operate any motorboat or vessel, or manipulate any water skis, surfboard, or similar device in a reckless manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of another. (b) No person shall operate any motorboat or vessel or manipulate any water skis, surfboa…

(a) No person shall live on a houseboat on any coastal pond in this state. (b) As used in this section, “houseboat,” means a building constructed on a float, raft, or barge that is used for single or multiple family habitation or is represented as a place of business. If used as …

Any person transporting a child under thirteen (13) years of age in a recreational vessel less than sixty-five (65) feet in length on the waters of this state shall require that the child wear a personal flotation device approved by the United States Coast Guard when underway, un…

(a) When the death of any person ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vessel in reckless disregard of the safety of others, the person so operating such vessel shall be guilty of “operating so as to endanger, resulting in death.” (b) Any pers…

(a) When the serious bodily injury of any person ensues as a proximate result of the operation of any vessel in reckless disregard of the safety of others, the person so operating such vessel shall be guilty of “operating so as to endanger, resulting in personal injury.” (b) “Ser…

(a) No person shall operate any motor-boat or vessel in any harbor or inlet or any pond or other confined body of water in this state in excess of forty-five (45) miles per hour during the hours from sunrise to sunset and twenty-five (25) miles per hour during periods of darkness…

(a) Whoever, knowing it to be false, transmits or causes to be transmitted by radio, telephone, use of emergency flares or other means of communication, the alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of an emergency situation which threatens the life, or safety of a person and/or…

The director shall formulate a memorandum of understanding with the coastal resources management council and the United States Coast Guard with regard to the establishment of temporary safety zones and/or exclusionary zones.

(a) No person born on or after January 1, 1986 shall operate a vessel that is fitted with propulsion machinery of more than ten (10) horsepower on the waters of this state unless the person shall have successfully completed a boating safety education program as approved by the di…

(a)(1) Under article 1, § 17 of the Rhode Island Constitution, the people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery, and the privileges of the shore, to which they have been heretofore entitled under the charter and usages of this state, including, but…

All other departments and agencies and bodies of state government are hereby authorized and directed to cooperate with and furnish such information as the council shall require.

The rules and regulations promulgated by the council shall be subject to the Administrative Procedures Act.

The council shall be authorized to establish reasonable fees for applications and hearings. All fees collected by the council, including fees collected for leases, shall be deposited as general revenues. The state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her or…

The council shall be authorized to engage its own expert and outside consultants, and the council shall be empowered to use that testimony in making its decisions.

The council is authorized to accept any federal grants. It is further given the power to administer land and water use regulations as necessary to fulfill their responsibilities under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, 16 U.S.C. § 1451 et seq., and to acquire fee simple and…

Coastal municipalities which share a common boundary along their public waters may enter into a binding memorandum of agreement allowing for harbormasters and other officials charged with enforcement of harbor management plan harbor ordinances from one coastal municipality to enf…

The council is authorized to grant permits, licenses, and easements for any term of years or in perpetuity. Permits, licenses, or easements which are issued by the council for the filling of the submerged or submersible lands of the state of Rhode Island remain subject to the pub…