§ 2251. Registration. 1. No person shall operate or permit the operation of a vessel on the navigable waters of the state, or on any other waters within the boundaries of the state, except waters which are privately owned, unless such vessel is registered and numbered and bears a current validation sticker in accordance with the provisions of this article.

2. Issuance and period of validity. The commissioner is authorized to register a vessel, issue a registration certificate, validation sticker or stickers and assign a registration number to such vessel. Unless otherwise prescribed by the commissioner, any such registration shall be valid for a period of three years unless, prior to such expiration date, it is surrendered, cancelled, revoked or suspended pursuant to the provisions of this article, or the vessel is transferred to another owner.

3. Fees. The triennial fee for registration of a vessel shall be: twenty-two dollars and fifty cents and a vessel surcharge of three dollars and seventy-five cents, if less than sixteen feet in length; forty-five dollars and a vessel surcharge of twelve dollars and fifty cents, if sixteen feet or over but less than twenty-six feet in length; seventy-five dollars and a vessel surcharge of eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents, if twenty-six feet or over. All funds derived from the collection of the vessel access surcharge pursuant to this subdivision are to be deposited in a subaccount of the "I love NY waterways" vessel access account established pursuant to section ninety-seven-nn of the state finance law. The vessel access surcharge shall not be considered a registration fee for purposes of section seventy-nine-b of the navigation law. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, the difference collected between the fees set forth in this subdivision in effect on and after September first, two thousand nine and the fees set forth in this subdivision prior to such date shall be deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, the difference collected between the vessel surcharge set forth in this subdivision in effect on and after September first, two thousand nine and the vessel surcharge set forth in this subdivision in effect prior to such date shall be deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund.

4. Application. The owner of each vessel requiring registration under this section shall present an application for registration to the commissioner, or an agent designated by the commissioner, on a blank to be prepared and furnished by the commissioner for that purpose. Such application shall contain or be accompanied by such evidence of the ownership of the vessel described in the application as may be required by the commissioner.

5. Renewal. Every owner of a vessel shall renew his registration at such times and in such manner as the commissioner shall prescribe, on payment of the same registration fees as are provided in subdivision three of this section except that, in implementing the purposes of this act, the commissioner may schedule the commencement dates, duration and expiration dates of such renewals to provide for a cycle of registration renewals through the course of a fiscal year. For registrations issued for less than the three year registration period, a portion of a month shall be considered a month and the registration fee shall be levied on a prorated basis.

6. Change of address. The owner of any vessel registered pursuant to the provisions of this section shall notify the commissioner in writing of any change in his address within ten days after such change occurs and the new address of such owner shall be noted by him on the certificate of registration for such vessel.

7. Change of ownership. Upon the change in ownership of a vessel registered pursuant to this section, unless otherwise provided by regulation of the commissioner, the certificate of registration shall be signed and dated by the owner and surrendered to the new owner and at the same time the commissioner shall be notified by the former owner, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner, of the name and address of the purchaser, the date of transfer and the identification number.

8. Destruction, theft, loss or abandonment of vessel. The owner of any vessel registered pursuant to the provisions of this section shall notify the commissioner in writing of the destruction, theft, loss or abandonment of such vessel within fifteen days thereafter, and in the event of the loss, destruction or abandonment of such vessel, the certificate of registration shall be surrendered with such notice.

9. Duplicate certificates of registration or validating stickers. In the event of loss, mutilation or destruction of any certificate of registration or validation sticker, the owner of the registered vessel may file with the department such statement and proof of the facts as the commissioner shall require with a fee of two dollars, with the department, for the issuance of a duplicate or substitute.