Title 88, Title 88 NAVIGATION AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS

The Boating Offense Compact is enacted into law and entered into on behalf of this state with all other states legally joining therein in a form substantially as follows:ARTICLE IFindings and Declaration of Policy(1) The party states find that:(a) The safety of their waters is ma…

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Dealer" means a person, partnership, association, or corporation engaged in the business of selling vessels at wholesale or retail in this state.(2) "Department" mean…

The department:(1) Shall provide for the issuance of vessel certificates of title and registration certificates;(2) May appoint county auditors or other agents or subagents under chapter 46.01 RCW for collecting fees and issuing vessel registration certificates, numbers, and deca…

(1) The department may issue confidential vessel registrations to units of local government and to agencies of the federal government for law enforcement purposes only.(2) The department shall limit confidential vessel registrations owned or operated by the state of Washington or…

(1) Any person charged with the enforcement of this chapter may inspect the registration certificate of a vessel to ascertain the legal and registered ownership of the vessel. A vessel owner or operator who fails to provide the registration certificate for inspection upon the req…

(1) A person who has paid all or part of a vessel registration fee under this chapter is entitled to a refund if the amount was paid in error or if the vessel:(a) Was destroyed before the new registration period began;(b) Was permanently removed from Washington state before the n…

(1) A local health officer may notify the department that a vessel has been:(a) Declared unfit and prohibited from use as authorized in chapter 64.44 RCW if the vessel has become contaminated as defined in RCW 64.44.010;(b) Satisfactorily decontaminated and the vessel has been re…

(1) A vessel owner shall notify the department in writing within five business days after a vessel is or has been:(a) Sold;(b) Given as a gift to another person;(c) Traded, either privately or to a vessel dealer;(d) Donated to charity;(e) Turned over to an insurance company or wr…

A vessel owner shall notify the department within ten days of any of the following:(1) A change of name or address of the owner, as provided in RCW 46.08.195;(2) Destruction, loss, abandonment, theft, or recovery of the vessel; or(3) Loss or destruction of a valid registration ce…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and, in part, in order to prevent the future potential dereliction or abandonment of a vessel, a violation of this chapter and the rules adopted by the department is a class 2 civil infraction.(2) A civil infraction issued under t…

(1) The department shall:(a) Develop and approve a carbon monoxide warning sticker;(b) Approve a carbon monoxide warning sticker that has been approved by the United States coast guard for similar uses in other states;(c) Provide the carbon monoxide warning sticker when an applic…

(1) It is a gross misdemeanor punishable as provided under chapter 9A.20 RCW for any person owning a vessel subject to taxation under chapter 82.49 RCW to:(a) Register a vessel in another state to avoid Washington state vessel excise tax required under chapter 82.49 RCW; or(b) Ob…

A suit or action may not be commenced or prosecuted against the department or the state of Washington by reason of any act done or omitted to be done in the administration of the duties and responsibilities imposed upon the department under this chapter.[ 2010 c 161 s 1008; 1985 …

(1) A moorage provider that provides long-term moorage must obtain the following information and documentation from persons entering into long-term moorage agreements with the moorage provider:(a) The name of the legal owner of the vessel;(b) A local contact person and that perso…

The disclosure of vessel owner records by the department of licensing is governed under RCW 46.12.630, 46.12.635, and 46.12.640.[ 2016 c 80 s 4.]

It is the intention of the legislature:(1) To establish a system of certificates of title for vessels similar to that in existence for motor vehicles under chapter 46.12 RCW;(2) That certificates of title become sufficient evidence of ownership of the vessel it describes so that …

(1) An application for a certificate of title must be made at the same time when a vessel is registered for the first time as required under this chapter.(2) A person who purchases or otherwise obtains majority ownership of any vessel subject to this chapter shall, within fifteen…

(1) The application for a certificate of title of a vessel must be made by the owner or the owner's representative to the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director on a form furnished or approved by the department and must contain:(a) A desc…

(1) Security interests in vessels subject to the requirements of this chapter must be perfected only by indication upon the vessel's certificate of title. The provisions of chapters 46.12 and * 46.16 RCW relating to vehicle registration certificates, certificates of title, certif…

(1) A legal owner or the legal owner's authorized representative shall promptly apply for a duplicate certificate of title if a certificate of title is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, or becomes illegible. The application for a duplicate certificate of title must:(a) Inclu…

(1) The application for a quick title of a vessel must be made by the owner or the owner's representative to the department, participating county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director on a form furnished or approved by the department and must contain:(a) A…

(1) Except as provided in this chapter, a person may not own or operate any vessel, including a rented vessel, on the waters of this state unless the vessel has been registered and displays a registration number and a valid decal in accordance with this chapter. A vessel that has…

(1) An application for a vessel registration must be made by the owner or the owner's authorized representative to the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director on a form furnished or approved by the department. The application must contain:…

Vessel registration is required under this chapter except for the following:(1) A military vessel owned by the United States government;(2) A public vessel owned by the United States government, unless the vessel is a type used for recreation;(3) A vessel clearly identified as be…

The department shall provide an opportunity for each person registering a vessel under this chapter to make a voluntary donation to support the maritime historic restoration and preservation activities of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport and the Steamer Virginia V Foundation. …

(1) A registered owner or the registered owner's authorized representative shall promptly apply for a duplicate registration certificate when a registration certificate is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, or becomes illegible. The application for a duplicate registration ce…

Beginning January 1, 2023, paper issued registration certificates for vessels must be printed to allow for the manual removal of a registrant's address, by the named registered owner, without compromising any required information on the certificate.[ 2022 c 36 s 3.]Notes:Finding—…

(1) A registered owner or the registered owner's authorized representative shall promptly apply for a pair of replacement decals when the decals are lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, or become illegible. The application for replacement decals must:(a) Be accompanied by an af…

The department shall include an informational brochure about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and vessels and the warning stickers required under RCW 88.02.390 as part of the registration materials mailed by the department for two consecutive years for registrations that …

(1) A vessel owner shall apply for a vessel visitor permit if the vessel is:(a) Currently registered or numbered under the laws of a country other than the United States or has a valid United States customs service cruising license issued under 19 C.F.R. Sec. 4.94; and(b) Being u…

(1) A vessel owner who is a nonresident person must obtain a nonresident vessel permit on or before the 61st day of use in Washington state if the vessel:(a) Is currently registered or numbered under the laws of the state or country of principal operation, has been issued a valid…

(1) In addition to any other fees and taxes required by law, the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director must charge the following vessel fees and surcharge:FEEAMOUNTAUTHORITYDISTRIBUTION(a) Dealer temporary permit$5.00RCW 88.02.800(2)Gene…

(1) General fees for vessel registrations collected by the director must be deposited in the general fund. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, any amount above one million one hundred thousand dollars per fiscal year must be allocated to counties by the state tr…

(1) The maritime historic restoration and preservation account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from the voluntary donations made simultaneously with the registration of vessels under this chapter must be deposited into this account. These deposits a…

(1) Each vessel dealer in this state shall:(a) Obtain a vessel dealer license from the department in a manner prescribed by the department in accordance with rules adopted under chapter 34.05 RCW;(b) File a surety bond in the amount of five thousand dollars, running to the state …

(1) The department may exempt from compliance with the vessel dealer requirements of this chapter, any person who is engaged in the business of selling in this state at wholesale or retail, human-powered watercraft that is: (a) Under sixteen feet in length; (b) unable to be power…

(1) A vessel dealer must have and maintain an office in which to conduct business at the business address of the dealer.(2) The vessel dealer's place of business must be identified by an exterior sign with the business name. In the absence of other identifiers that the business c…

Any person engaging in vessel dealer activities without first obtaining a vessel dealer license is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.[ 2010 c 161 s 1036; 1987 c 149 s 3. Formerly RCW 88.02.112.]Notes:Effective date—Intent—Legislation to reconcile chapter 161, Laws of 2010 and other a…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the director may by order deny, suspend, or revoke a vessel dealer license, or in lieu of or in addition to, may by order assess monetary penalties of a civil nature not to exceed one thousand dollars per violation, if the directo…

The department shall immediately suspend the vessel registration or vessel dealer's license of a person who has been certified pursuant to RCW 74.20A.320 by the department of social and health services as a person who is not in compliance with a support order. If the person has c…

(1) A vessel dealer shall possess a certificate of title, a manufacturer's statement of origin, a carpenter's certificate, or a factory invoice or other evidence of ownership approved by the department for each vessel in the vessel dealer's inventory unless the vessel for sale is…

(1) A vessel dealer who receives cash or a negotiable instrument of deposit in excess of one thousand dollars, or a deposit of any amount that will be held for more than fourteen calendar days, shall place the funds in a separate trust account.The cash or negotiable instrument mu…

(1) A vessel dealer shall complete and maintain for a period of at least three years a record of the purchase and sale of all vessels purchased or consigned and sold by the vessel dealer. Records must be made available for inspection by the department during normal business hours…

(1) Vessel dealer display decals must only be used:(a) To demonstrate vessels held for sale when operated by a prospective customer holding a dated demonstration permit. The demonstration permit must be carried in the vessel at all times when it is being operated by a prospective…

(1) In addition to other penalties imposed under this chapter for unauthorized or personal use of vessel dealer display decals, the director may:(a) Confiscate all vessel dealer display decals for a period that the director deems appropriate; and(b) Impose a monetary penalty not …

(1) The department may authorize vessel dealers properly licensed under this chapter to issue temporary permits to operate vessels under rules adopted by the department.(2) The department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director shall collect the fee …

The purposes of this chapter are as follows:(1) Regulate charter boats for the carrying of more than six passengers, which are operated on state waters and which are not regulated by the United States coast guard;(2) Protect the safety and health of employees, passengers, and per…

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.(2) "Carrying passengers or cargo" means the transporting of any person or persons or cargo on a vessel for a…

A person shall not rent, lease, or hire out a charter boat, nor carry, advertise for the carrying of, nor arrange for the carrying of, more than six passengers on a vessel for a fee or other consideration on state waters unless each of the following conditions is satisfied:(1)(a)…

The department shall inspect or provide for the inspection of every charter boat once every twelve months with the vessel in the water to determine if the vessel and its equipment comply with the rules promulgated by the department and with the applicable state and federal laws a…