South Carolina Code 50-21-95. Lawful operation of certain vessels; penalties
(1) was born on or before July 1, 2007;
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 50-21-95
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- 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
(2) is in possession of a South Carolina boating safety certificate issued in the person’s name or is documented by the department as having been issued a South Carolina boating safety certificate;
(3) is in possession of a license to operate a vessel issued by the United States Coast Guard in the person’s name, regardless of the expiration date on the license;
(4) is in possession of a merchant mariner credential issued by the United States Coast Guard in the person’s name, regardless of the expiration date on the credential;
(5) is a nonresident in possession of a boating safety certificate, or an equivalency, issued by another state in the nonresident’s name;
(6) is operating a vessel, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft from a business engaged in the renting of vessels, personal watercrafts, or specialty propcrafts and is in possession of a valid boat rental safety certificate issued in the person’s name; or
(7) is accompanied by a person at least eighteen years old who meets one of the criteria in items (1) through (5) of this subsection.
(B) A person who is adjudicated to be in violation of this section must be fined not less than fifty dollars and not more than three hundred dollars, no part of which may be suspended. No court costs, assessments, or surcharges may be assessed against a person who violates this section. A custodial arrest for a violation of this section must not be made, except upon a warrant issued for failure to appear in court when summoned or for failure to pay an imposed fine. A violation of this section does not constitute a criminal offense and must not be included in the records maintained by the department or in the records maintained by SLED.