It's the Law: Before Going Out

Liveries (Boat/PWC Rental Facilities)

Facilities renting vessels and anyone renting from them must follow these regulations:

• The facility is prohibited from renting a vessel that does not have the proper safety equipment, exceeds the recommended horsepower or load capacity, or is not seaworthy.
• The facility must provide pre-rental or pre-ride instruction on the safe operation of any vessel with a motor of 10 horsepower or more.
• All renters who are required by law to have a boater education ID card must present the card or its equivalent before the facility may rent to him or her.
• PWC liveries must provide instruction to renters (see below for details).
• PWC liveries must not rent to anyone under the age of 18 years.

PWC Liveries Must Instruct Renters

PWC liveries must inform renters about the safe and proper operation of a PWC. This includes information on:

• Reckless operation, and noise, nuisance, and environmental concerns
• Operational characteristics of the PWC to be rented—propulsion, steering, and stopping characteristics of jet pump vessels
• Safe vessel operation and vessel “right of way” rules—applicability of the Navigation Rules to PWC operation, problems with seeing and being seen by other boaters, the location and content of warning labels, and how to reboard a PWC
• Responsibility of the operator and safe and proper operation of the vessel
• Local characteristics of the waterway where the vessel will be used