(a) The owner of a vessel which has been awarded a registration number or registration decal by this state shall notify the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in writing within fifteen days of the transfer of all or any part of his interest in, other than the creation of a security interest, or of the theft, loss, destruction or abandonment of, such vessel and surrender with such notice his certificate of number. Any such transfer, theft, loss, destruction or abandonment shall terminate said certificate.

(b) Any person who transfers to another ownership of a vessel numbered by this state or a vessel having been awarded a registration decal by this state or who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such vessel has been stolen, lost or destroyed, may, upon surrendering the outstanding certificate of number or certificate of decal and upon application and payment of a fee of one dollar, have another vessel numbered in his name for the remainder of the numbering period, or may have another registration decal issued in his name for the remainder of the registration period, provided if the numbering fee or registration decal fee in accordance with the provisions of section 15-144 is greater for such other vessel to be numbered or to obtain a registration decal than the fee paid for said registration period with respect to the vessel transferred, such person shall pay a fee in addition to said one dollar, equal to the registration fee in said section 15-144 for such other vessel to be numbered or to receive a registration decal minus the amount of such fee paid for said registration period with respect to the vessel transferred.

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

(d) Any person, who for reasons acceptable to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, requests a change in the type of registration issued for a vessel owned by such person, from a registration number to a registration decal, or from a registration decal to a registration number, may, upon surrendering the outstanding registration and payment of a fee of three dollars, have the new registration for such vessel issued in such person's name for the remainder of the registration period.

(1961, P.A. 506, S. 14; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 388; P.A. 73-257, S. 14, 27; P.A. 76-381, S. 30; P.A. 81-423, S. 8, 25; P.A. 82-436, S. 4, 11; P.A. 89-23.)

History: 1971 act replaced “commission”, referring to boating commission, with “commissioner”, referring to commissioner of environmental protection; P.A. 73-257 required notification of commissioner of motor vehicles rather than environmental protection commissioner and required notification of theft or loss in Subsec. (a) and added proviso in Subsec. (b); P.A. 76-381 added Subsec. (c) making violation an infraction; P.A. 81-423 inserted references in appropriate places to registration number or registration decal, replacing reference to motorboats “numbered” by state; P.A. 82-436 added Subsec. (d) providing that with approval of commissioner of motor vehicles any owner of a vessel may change the type of registration issued, whether registration number or registration decal, to the other type upon payment of a fee of $3; P.A. 89-23 amended Subsec. (b) to include persons who present satisfactory evidence that the vessel has been stolen, lost or destroyed.