(1) A person born on or after January 1, 1988, may not operate a vessel powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater unless such person has in his or her possession aboard the vessel photographic identification and a boating safety identification card issued by the commission, a state-issued identification card or driver license indicating possession of the boating safety identification card, or photographic identification and a temporary certificate issued or approved by the commission, which shows that he or she has:

(a) Completed a commission-approved boating safety education course that meets the minimum requirements established by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators; or

(b) Passed a temporary certificate examination developed or approved by the commission.

(2)(a) A person may obtain a boating safety identification card by successfully completing a boating safety education course that meets the requirements of this section and rules adopted by the commission pursuant to this section.

(b) A person may obtain a temporary certificate by passing a temporary certificate examination that meets the requirements of this section and rules adopted by the commission pursuant to this section.

(3) Any commission-approved boating safety education course or temporary certificate examination developed or approved by the commission must include a component regarding diving vessels, awareness of divers in the water, divers-down warning devices, and the requirements of s. 327.331.

(4) The commission may appoint liveries, marinas, or other persons as its agents to administer the course or temporary certificate examination and issue identification cards or temporary certificates in digital, electronic, or paper format under guidelines established by the commission. An agent must charge the $2 examination fee, which must be forwarded to the commission with proof of passage of the examination and may charge and keep a $1 service fee.

(5) A boating safety identification card issued to a person who has completed a boating safety education course is valid for life. A temporary certificate issued to a person who has passed a temporary certification examination is valid for 90 days after the date of issuance. The commission may issue either the boating safety identification card or the temporary certificate in a digital, electronic, or paper format.

(6) A person is exempt from subsection (1) if he or she:

(a) Is licensed by the United States Coast Guard to serve as master of a vessel.

(b) Operates a vessel only on a private lake or pond.

(c) Is accompanied in the vessel by a person who is exempt from this section or who holds a boating safety identification card in compliance with this section, who is 18 years of age or older, and who is attendant to the operation of the vessel and responsible for the safe operation of the vessel and for any violation that occurs during the operation of the vessel.

(d) Is a nonresident who has in his or her possession photographic identification and proof that he or she has completed a boating safety education course or equivalency examination in another state or a United States territory which meets or exceeds the minimum requirements established by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.

(e) Is operating a vessel within 90 days after the purchase of that vessel and has available for inspection aboard that vessel a bill of sale meeting the requirements of s. 328.46(1).

(f) Is operating a vessel within 90 days after completing the requirements of paragraph (1)(a) and has a photographic identification card and a boating safety education certificate available for inspection as proof of having completed a boating safety education course. The boating safety education certificate must provide, at a minimum, the student’s first and last name, the student’s date of birth, and the date that he or she passed the course examination.

(g) Is exempted by rule of the commission.

(7) A person who operates a vessel in violation of subsection (1) commits a noncriminal infraction, punishable as provided in s. 327.73.

(8) The commission shall institute and coordinate a statewide program of boating safety instruction and certification to ensure that boating safety courses and examinations are available in each county of the state. The commission may appoint agents to administer the boating safety education course or temporary certificate examination and may authorize the agents to issue temporary certificates in digital, electronic, or paper format. The agents shall charge and collect the $2 fee required in subsection (9) for each temporary certificate, which must be forwarded to the commission. The agent may charge and keep a $1 service fee.

(9) The commission is authorized to establish and to collect a $2 fee for each card and certificate issued pursuant to this section.

(10) The commission shall design forms and adopt rules pursuant to chapter 120 to implement the provisions of this section.

(11) This section may be cited as the “Osmany ‘Ozzie’ Castellanos Boating Safety Education Act.”

History.—s. 1, ch. 96-187; s. 24, ch. 99-245; s. 13, ch. 2000-362; s. 35, ch. 2005-2; s. 9, ch. 2009-86; s. 2, ch. 2011-152; s. 2, ch. 2014-138; s. 3, ch. 2016-4; s. 2, ch. 2016-171; s. 1, ch. 2019-54.