Virginia Administrative Code

A. Upon successful completion of a boating safety education course or proctored equivalency exam, the approved course provider shall provide the student with a course certificate or pocket-size card. At a minimum, such certificate or card shall include the student's name and date…

(Repealed.)

A. To be certified as a boating safety education course instructor for the department's classroom-based boating safety education course, a person shall have successfully completed a classroom-based boating safety education course and be certified as an instructor by the United St…

The navigation lights requirements in this chapter shall be complied with in all weather and from sunset to sunrise on the public waters of the Commonwealth. During such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights as cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in…

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

Except as otherwise provided by statute, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor for each such violation as provided by § 29.1-746 of the Code of Virginia. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735 of t…

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

(Repealed.)

This chapter applies to all recreational vessels that are propelled or controlled by machinery, sails, oars, paddles, poles, or another vessel on waters within the territorial limits of the Commonwealth (both public and private waters). Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 2…

The following persons need not comply with 4VAC15-430-80; however, each must carry on board visual distress signals suitable for night use, selected from the list in 4VAC15-430-120 or 4VAC15-430-130, in the number required, between sunset and sunrise: 1. A person competing in any…

A. It shall be unlawful to use a vessel unless the visual distress signals required by 4VAC15-430-80 are readily accessible. B. It shall be unlawful to use a vessel unless each signal required by 4VAC15-430-80 is in serviceable condition and the service life of the signal, if ind…

A. Any of the following signals, when carried in the number required, can be used to meet the requirements of 4VAC15-430-80: 1. An electric distress light. One is required to meet the night only requirement. 2. An orange flag. One is required to meet the day only requirement. 3. …

Launchers manufactured before January 1, 1981, that do not have approval numbers are acceptable for use with meteor or parachute signals listed in the table in 4VAC15-430-120 as long as they remain in serviceable condition. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and …

It shall be unlawful for any person in a vessel to display a visual distress signal on waters to which this chapter applies under any circumstance except a situation where assistance is needed because of immediate or potential danger to the persons on board. Statutory Authority§§…

No person shall operate a boat built after July 31, 1980, that has a gasoline engine for electrical generation, mechanical power, or propulsion, unless the boat is equipped with an operable ventilation system that meets the requirements of 33 CFR 183.610(a) through (f) and 33 CFR…

A. The provisions of this section through 4VAC15-430-210, with the exception of 4VAC15-430-200, shall apply to all vessels contracted for on or after November 19, 1952. Vessels contracted for prior to that date shall meet the requirements of 4VAC15-430-200. B. Where equipment in …

A. Hand-portable fire extinguishers and semiportable fire extinguishing systems are classified by a combination letter and number symbol, the letter indicating the type of fire that the unit could be expected to extinguish, and the number indicating the relative size of the unit.…

When a fixed fire extinguishing system is installed, it shall be of an approved type that is designed and installed in agreement with the applicable provisions required by the U.S. Coast Guard.Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735 of the Code of Virgini…

A. Motorboats. 1. All motorboats shall carry at least the minimum number of hand-portable fire extinguishers set forth in the following table, except that motorboats less than 26 feet in length, propelled by outboard motors and not carrying passengers for hire, need not carry suc…

As used in this chapter the following words and terms shall have the following meanings: "Coastal waters" means the territorial seas of the United States, and those waters directly connected to the territorial seas (i.e., bays, sounds, harbors, rivers, inlets, etc.) where any ent…

A. Condition and number of fire extinguishers required for recreational vessels built model year 2017 or earlier, between 1953 and 2017, and contracted prior to November 19, 1953. 1. Previously installed extinguishers with extinguishing capacities that are less than what is requi…

Every engine, except outboard motors, using gasoline as fuel and installed in a vessel shall be equipped with an acceptable means of backfire flame control that meets the requirements of 46 CFR 25.35.Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735 of the Code of …

Except as otherwise provided by statute, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor for each such violation as provided by § 29.1-746 of the Code of Virginia. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735 of t…

A. Except as provided in 4VAC15-430-40, it shall be unlawful to use a recreational vessel unless: 1. At least one wearable PFD is on board for each person; 2. Each PFD is used in accordance with any requirements on the approval label; and 3. Each PFD is used in accordance with an…

A. The following vessels are not required to carry an additional throwable PFD. 1. Personal watercraft. 2. Nonmotorized canoes and kayaks 16 feet in length and over. B. The following vessels are not required to carry any PFD: 1. Racing shells, rowing sculls, racing canoes, and ra…

A. It shall be unlawful to use a recreational vessel unless each wearable PFD required by 4VAC15-430-30, or equivalent type allowed by 4VAC15-430-40, is readily accessible. "Readily accessible" means that PFDs are stowed where they can be easily reached, or are out in the open re…

It shall be unlawful to use a recreational vessel unless each PFD required by 4VAC15-430-30 or allowed by 4VAC15-430-40 is: 1. In serviceable condition as provided in 4VAC15-430-70; 2. Of an appropriate size and fit for the intended wearer, as marked on the approval label; and 3.…

A PFD is considered to be in serviceable condition only if the following conditions are met: 1. No PFD may exhibit deterioration that could diminish the performance of the PFD, including: a. Metal or plastic hardware used to secure the PFD on the wearer that is broken, deformed, …

A. It shall be unlawful to use a vessel 16 feet or more in length or any boat carrying six or less passengers for consideration on the coastal waters as defined in 4VAC15-430-20 unless visual distress signals selected from the list in 4VAC15-430-120 or the alternatives in 4VAC15-…

When a visual distress signal carried to meet the requirements of 4VAC15-430-80 requires a launcher to activate, then an approved launcher must also be carried. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735 of the Code of Virginia.

A. This chapter applies to vessels on waters within the territorial limits of the Commonwealth (both public and private waters), except: 1. Vessels used for noncommercial use; 2. Vessels leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter's noncommercial use; 3. Commercial ves…

A. It shall be unlawful to operate a vessel to which this chapter applies unless it meets the requirements of this section. B. Each vessel not carrying passengers for hire less than 40 feet in length must have at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved life preserver (Type I PFD), bu…

A. The lifesaving equipment required by this chapter must be legibly marked as required by the U.S. Coast Guard. B. The lifesaving equipment designed to be worn, required in 4VAC15-440-20 subsections B, C and E, must be readily accessible as defined in 4VAC15-430-50. C. Lifesavin…

A. This section applies to vessels described in 4VAC15-440-10 that engage in ocean or coastwise voyages. B. Each immersion suit carried in accordance with 4VAC15-440-20, each life preserver, each marine buoyant device intended to be worn, and each buoyant vest must have a persona…

A. Each life preserver, each marine buoyant device intended to be worn, and each buoyant vest carried on a vessel must have Type I retroreflective material that is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. B. Each item required to have retroreflective material must have at least 31 sq. i…

Except as otherwise provided by statute, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor for each such violation as provided by § 29.1-746 of the Code of Virginia. Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735 of t…

This chapter applies to all commercial parasail operations on waters of the Commonwealth.Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735.3 of the Code of Virginia.

As used in this chapter unless the context clearly requires a different meaning the following words and terms shall have the following meanings: "Commercial parasail operation" means all parasail activities engaged in or caused to be engaged in by any person or legal entity with …

Commercial parasailing operators shall comply with the following provisions: 1. All commercial parasail operators shall have a valid Coast Guard License for carrying passengers for hire. 2. Vessels engaged in parasailing operations must be equipped with a rear launchplatform and …

Except as otherwise provided by statute, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor for each such violation as provided by § 29.1-746 of the Code of Virginia.Statutory Authority§§ 29.1-501, 29.1-502, 29.1-701, and 29.1-735.3 of …