(a) Every vessel used upon the waters of this state shall be numbered, except as otherwise provided in this section and section 15-143. For purposes of this section and said section 15-143, any launching, mooring or operation of a vessel upon the waters of this state shall be deemed to be a use of such vessel upon the waters of this state. No person shall launch, moor or operate and no owner shall permit the launching, mooring or operation of any vessel unless (1) the owner holds a valid, effective certificate of number awarded by this state or by the United States or by another state pursuant to the provisions of the federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 and the identification number set forth in such certificate is displayed on each side of such vessel at the bow, (2) the owner holds a valid marine document issued by the United States Coast Guard, or (3) such vessel is otherwise not required to be numbered in this state under the provisions of said section 15-143.

(b) Each vessel with respect to which the owner holds a valid marine document issued by the United States Coast Guard, a valid certificate of number awarded by the United States pursuant to the provisions of the federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 or a valid certificate of number awarded by another state, which vessel is used upon the waters of this state for more than sixty days in any calendar year, shall be required to display a Connecticut registration decal. No person shall launch, moor or operate and no owner shall permit the launching, mooring or operation of any such vessel unless (1) the owner holds a valid, effective certificate of registration awarded by this state, and (2) the registration decal is displayed as directed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, provided the requirements of this subsection shall not be applicable, in the period commencing on the first day of October in any year to and including the thirtieth day of April next succeeding, to any such vessel in use upon the waters of this state exclusively for purposes of delivery of such vessel to a facility in this state for storage, including dry storage and storage in water by means of apparatus preventing ice damage to the hull, maintenance or repair or the actual process of storage, maintenance or repair of such vessel.

(c) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

(1961, P.A. 506, S. 8; 1967, P.A. 175, S. 2; P.A. 73-257, S. 8, 27; P.A. 76-381, S. 27; P.A. 81-423, S. 3, 25; P.A. 82-283, S. 1, 4; 82-348, S. 5, 6; P.A. 83-253, S. 1, 3; 83-455, S. 2, 4; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: 1967 act required numbering of all motorboats, previous requirement applied only to those “of more than five horsepower”; P.A. 73-257 required numbering of boat before launching or mooring it as well as before operation and replaced “Federal Boating Act of 1958” with “Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971”; P.A. 76-381 stated that violation is an infraction; P.A. 81-423 replaced “motorboats” with “vessels” throughout and required all vessels on Connecticut waters to have a state certificate of registration and added Subsec. (b) requiring vessels with a certificate of number from the United States or another state to display a registration decal; P.A. 82-283 added provisions to require that a vessel, with respect to which the owner holds a valid marine document issued by the United States Coast Guard, shall not be required to display a number awarded by Connecticut, however, such vessel must display a Connecticut registration decal; P.A. 82-348 removed penalty provision from Subsec. (a) and placed in new Subsec. (c); P.A. 83-253 added language in Subsec. (a) concerning what shall be deemed the use of a vessel upon the waters of this state; P.A. 83-455 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that in the period from October first of any year to April thirtieth next following, inclusive, registration requirements shall not apply to any vessel on waters of state exclusively for purposes of delivery to a facility for storage, maintenance or repair, effective July 1, 1983, and applicable to such use of vessels on or after said date; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011.

Cited. 198 C. 168; 206 C. 253.

Cited. 12 CA 417; 20 CA 452.