(a) No resident of the state, person owning real property in the state or person owning a vessel in the state shall operate on the waters of the state a vessel which is required to be registered or numbered pursuant to this chapter unless such person has a valid vessel operator license issued by the United States Coast Guard or has obtained a safe boating certificate issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. No owner of a vessel shall knowingly authorize or permit a person who is less than sixteen years of age who is required by this section to obtain a safe boating certificate issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to operate such vessel on the waters of the state without a safe boating certificate, unless such person is under the direct onboard supervision of a person who is at least eighteen years of age who has been issued a safe boating certificate and who has held such certificate for at least two years. A safe boating certificate may be suspended or revoked, pursuant to § 15-132a, 15-133, 15-140l or 15-140n, and shall be valid for the life of the person to whom it is issued unless otherwise suspended or revoked. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person who, between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset, operates a vessel propelled exclusively by an electric motor that is rated at one hundred six pounds of thrust or less on the inland waters of this state upon which motor powered vessels exceeding ten horsepower are prohibited.

(b) A safe boating certificate shall be issued under subsection (a) of this section to any applicant regardless of age who provides proof that such applicant has: (1) Successfully completed a course in safe boating operation approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, which courses may include those offered by the United States Power Squadrons, Coast Guard Auxiliary or other organizations, or (2) successfully passed an equivalency examination testing knowledge of safe boating operation administered by the commissioner.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, any person who purchases a new or used vessel may, upon vessel registration, apply to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a temporary safe boating certificate which shall be valid for three months from the date of registration. No person shall be issued more than one temporary safe boating certificate.

(d) Any person operating a vessel other than a personal watercraft, as defined in § 15-140j, which is rented for a period of fourteen days or less from a boat livery need not obtain a certificate during the rental period. An owner, agent or employee of a boat livery shall furnish to each rental customer literature on safety and rules of navigation as supplied by the commissioner.

(e) Any person enrolled in a course in safe boating operation approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may operate a vessel without a safe boating certificate when under the direct onboard supervision of a boating instructor holding a valid instructor number issued by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, on and after October 1, 2015, no person shall operate on the waters of the state a vessel that is required to be registered or numbered pursuant to this chapter and that is engaged in water skiing, as defined in § 15-127, unless such person: (1) Is not less than sixteen years of age, (2) has a valid vessel operator license issued by the United States Coast Guard, has obtained a safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or holds a boating safety certificate from a state that has a reciprocal agreement with the commissioner pursuant to § 15-140f or 15-140j, and (3) has a safe water skiing endorsement on or accompanying such certificate that was issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection upon such person’s completion of the safe water skiing instruction described in § 15-140f. No owner of a vessel shall knowingly authorize or permit a person who is less than sixteen years of age to operate such vessel while engaged in water skiing on the waters of the state. The requirements of subdivision (3) of this subsection shall not apply to any resident or person who, on or before October 1, 2015, received a valid vessel operator license issued by the United States Coast Guard, obtained a safe boating certificate or certificate of personal watercraft operation from the commissioner or held a boating safety certificate from a state that has such a reciprocal agreement with the commissioner. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the towing of a person or a vessel during the course of an emergency that poses a threat to human life or property.

(g) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not less than sixty or more than two hundred fifty dollars for each such violation.

(h) Any course in safe boating operation approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, as described in subsection (b) of this section, shall include instruction on the proper means of: (1) Inspecting a vessel and trailers used for transporting such vessels for the presence of vegetation and aquatic invasive species, as determined by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (a) of § 15-180; and (2) properly disposing of such vegetation and such aquatic invasive species.