Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90B is amended by adding the following sections
5d Certificate of Boating Safety Education.
No person shall operate a motorized vessel with any type of power motor or any non-motorized vessel over fifteen feet in length on the public waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without first obtaining a certificate of boating safety education to operate on Commonwealth of Massachusetts waterways in accordance with this section.
Said certificate of boating safety issued upon successful completion of training provided by either the United States Coast Guard/ United States Coast Guard Auxiliary through their Boating Skills and Seamanship Course or the United States Power Squadron through its Americas Boating Course or United States Coast Guard approved training courses offered by Massachusetts Harbor Masters.
5e Possession Required; Penalty.
I. Any person required to have a Certificate of Boating Safety Education shall:
(a) Possess the certificate when operating a motorized vessel with any type of power motor or any non-motorized vessel over fifteen feet in length on the public waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
(b) Present the certificate upon the demand of a marine patrol officer.
II. No person charged with a violation of this section shall be convicted if, within a period of forty eight (48) hours, the person presents to the officer evidence that he or she held a valid Certificate of Boating Safety Education which was in effect at the time of the violation.
III. Enforcement of this section shall be accomplished only as a secondary action when an operator of a motorized or registered vessel has been cited, charged with, or issued a written warning for a violation or some other offense or as a primary action when an operator is involved in an accident.
IV. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine of $50 for a first offense and $250 for any subsequent offense.
V. Chapter 90b, Sections 5d and 5e shall become effective (3) three years after passage.
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.