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Chapter 2: Kentucky
Laws and Safety Equipment
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Officers of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources are empowered to enforce the provisions of the boating laws and have the right to enter upon all waters of this state, either private or public, for the purpose of inspecting certificate of registration and boat numbering, and shall have the right to enter upon all boats on such waters for the purpose of examining their registration documents and inspect their marine sanitation device.
Other marine law enforcement include:
- US Coast Guard – Responsible for enforcement of federal boating regulation on navigable waters.
- County or City marine patrol officers (may be fire or police departments)– responsible for enforcement within the geographical boundaries of a particular County or City.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources administers the State Boating Act and the Transportation Cabinet is responsible for administering the boat numbering, registration, and titling requirements.
USE OF SIRENS AND FLASHING BLUE LIGHTS
Only boats operated by law-enforcement may be equipped with a siren or a flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue light may be operated upon waterways of this state
If stopped by a law enforcement or marine patrol officer, slow down and bring your boat to a stop if it is safe to do so. Once stopped, wait for further directions from the officer. Generally, the officer will maneuver the patrol boat to you.
DEFINITIONS
"Vessel" means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane on the water;
"Motorboat" means any vessel propelled by machinery, whether or not such machinery is the principal source of propulsion, except for the following:
- Boats or vessels propelled totally by a direct current battery-powered motor when used on private waters; and
- Boats propelled by human power employing the use of hand or foot operation;
"Personalwatercraft" means a vessel which uses an internal combustion engine to power a jet pump for its primary source of propulsion and is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel rather than to be operated by a person sitting or standing inside the vessel;
"Waters of this state" means any waters within the territorial limits of this state;
"Operate" means to navigate or otherwise use a motorboat or a vessel;
"Department" means the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources;
"License" and "certificateof number" as used herein are synonymous;
"Division of Law Enforcement" means the Division of Law Enforcement, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources within the Tourism Development Cabinet.
"Title" means the certificate of title;
" Marina" means a dock or basin providing moorings for motorboats and offering supply, repair, or other services for remuneration; and
"Marine sanitation device" means equipment that is identified by the United States Coast Guard as meeting the standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency or that is approved by the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, to eliminate the discharge of untreated sewage from vessels into the waters of the Commonwealth and is a device that receives, treats, retains, or discharges sewage. |
