South Carolina Code 50-21-90. Boating safety and educational program
(B) The following persons must be issued a South Carolina boating safety certificate in both physical and electronic forms by the department:
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 50-21-90
- Boat: means a vessel. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
- Department: means the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources unless otherwise stated. See South Carolina Code 50-5-15
- Operate: means to navigate, steer, drive, or be in control. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
- Person: means an individual, a partnership, a firm, a corporation, an association, or other legal entity. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
- Personal watercraft: means a vessel, usually less than sixteen feet in length, that uses an inboard motor powering a water jet pump as its primary source of propulsion and that is intended to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel, rather than within the confines of the hull. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
- Specialty propcraft: means a vessel that is similar in appearance and operation to a personal watercraft but is powered by an outboard or propeller-driven motor. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
- Vessel: means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane regulated by the federal government, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
- Watercraft: means anything used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water but does not include: a seaplane regulated by the federal government, water skis, aquaplanes, surfboards, windsurfers, tubes, rafts, and similar devices or anything that does not meet construction or operational requirements of the state or federal government for watercraft. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
(1) a person who successfully completes a boating safety education course administered or approved by the department;
(2) a person who provides satisfactory proof to the department that the person was issued a boating safety certificate, or an equivalency, by another state; and (3) a person who provides satisfactory proof to the department that the person was issued a license to operate a vessel by the United States Coast Guard or was issued a merchant mariner credential by the United States Coast Guard.
(C) The department must approve of one or more boat rental safety education courses to be taken by persons renting a vessel, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft from businesses engaged in the renting of vessels, personal watercrafts, or specialty propcrafts. A person who completes a boat rental safety education course approved by the department must be issued a boat rental safety certificate in either electronic or physical form in the person’s name. A boat rental safety certificate is valid for thirty days from the date of issuance and only while operating a vessel, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft from a business engaged in the renting of vessels, personal watercrafts, or specialty propcrafts.
(D) The department must maintain a database of all persons issued a South Carolina boating safety certificate.