There is hereby established a derelict and abandoned vessel and obstruction removal fee which shall be in addition to the vessel registration fee assessed pursuant to § 46-22-4(a)(1). The fee shall be assessed biennially at the time vessel registration fees are assessed by the department pursuant to § 46-22-4(a)(1). All derelict and abandoned vessel and obstruction removal fees shall be deposited in the derelict and abandoned vessel and obstruction removal account established pursuant to § 46-6-10.3. The fees shall be assessed as follows:

  Overall Vessel Length (Ft) User Fee
  1-15 feet $2.00
  16-20 feet $2.00
  21-25 feet $6.00
  26-30 feet $8.00
  31-35 feet $12.00
  36-40 feet $14.00
  41-45 feet $16.00
  46-50 feet $18.00
  51 feet and above $20.00

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 46-6-10.4

  • Abandoned vessel: means a vessel that has been left, moored, or anchored in the same area without the express consent, or contrary to the rules of, the owner, manager, or lessee of the submerged lands or waters below or on which the vessel is located for more than forty-five (45) consecutive days or for more than a total of ninety (90) days in any three hundred sixty-five (365) day period, and the vessel's owner is: (i) Not known or cannot be located; or (ii) Known and located but is unwilling to take control of the vessel. See Rhode Island General Laws 46-6-8.1
  • Department: means the department of environmental management. See Rhode Island General Laws 46-6-8.1
  • Obstruction: means any unlawful or unauthorized structure or thing that is deposited or suffered to be or remain in the tidal waters or upon the tidal lands of the state, and in the judgment of the director, is, or is liable to cause or become an obstruction to the safe and convenient use of the waters and submerged lands of the state for navigation and other lawful purposes. See Rhode Island General Laws 46-6-8.1
  • Vessel: means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See Rhode Island General Laws 46-6-8.1

Pursuant to § 46-22-4(a)(1)(iii), vessels over thirty feet (30?) may, upon request, pay the derelict and abandoned vessel and obstruction removal fee, along with the registration fee annually at the rate of one-half ( 1 / 2 ) the biennial fee for a vessel of the same length.

History of Section.
P.L. 2012, ch. 370, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 389, § 1.