Sec.15-140j-1. Issuance of certificates of personal watercraft operation

(a) A certificate of personal watercraft operation required by subsection (b) of Section 15-140j of the Connecticut General Statutes shall be a safe boating certificate as described in subsection (a) of Section 15-140e of the Connecticut General Statutes, with a notation thereon that the person to whom it is issued may operate a personal watercraft. For purposes of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, "personal watercraft" shall be defined as that term is defined in Section 15-140j of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended.

(b) Any person required to obtain a certificate of personal watercraft operation shall apply for such certificate to the Commissioner on a form provided by the Commissioner. The application shall contain the items of information required by subsection (a) of 15-140f-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies for issuance of a safe boating certificate. The applicant shall also provide with the application:

(1) the original or a photocopy of the document demonstrating successful completion of the course specified in Section 15-140j-2(c)(1) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, or an original statement, written on the letterhead of and signed by an authorized representative of the agency or organization which gave such course, attesting to the existence of records which show that the applicant successfully completed such course; or

(2) the original or a photocopy of the document demonstrating successful completion of the course specified in Section 15-140j-2(a) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies and the original lifetime safe boating certificate or duplicate of such certificate issued pursuant to Section 15-140f-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, or other verification obtained from the records of the Commissioner that such certificate was issued, or proof as specified in subsection (h) or (i) of Section 15-140f-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies of eligibility to be issued such certificate; or

(3) the original or a photocopy of the document demonstrating successful passing of the equivalency examination specified in Section 15-140j-2(c)(2) of the Regulations of the Connecticut State Agencies.

The Commissioner may waive the requirements contained in subdivisions (1) to (3) of this subsection, as applicable, if the records of the Commissioner demonstrate that a course as specified in this section was successfully completed or an equivalency examination, as specified in Section 15-140j-2(c)(2) of the Regulations of the Connecticut State Agencies, was passed.

(c) Issuance of certificates of personal watercraft operation shall be subject to the same provisions regarding issuance set forth for safe boating certificates in subsections (b) through (f) of Section 15-140f-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(d) Any person eligible upon completion of requirements to be issued a certificate of personal watercraft operation who has previously been issued a safe boating certificate shall surrender such safe boating certificate and any duplicate thereof to the Commissioner prior to issuance of the certificate of personal watercraft operation.

(e) Temporary certificates of personal watercraft operation shall be subject to the same provisions regarding issuance set forth for certificates of personal watercraft operation in subsections (a) through (d) of this section. Each application for a temporary certificate of personal watercraft operation shall be accompanied by a certificate of number or certificate of decal issued to the applicant for his personal watercraft vessel registration. Each applicant must provide with his application for a temporary certificate of personal watercraft operation the original document demonstrating successful completion of an approved course specified in Section 15-140j-2(a) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, or a copy thereof, or an original statement, written on the letterhead of and signed by an authorized representative of the agency or organization which gave such course, attesting to the existence of records which show that the applicant successfully completed such course. The Commissioner may waive such requirement when documentation demonstrating that such classroom course was successfully completed may be obtained from records of the Commissioner. A temporary certificate shall expire in three months from the date of the vessel registration, as is provided for in Section 15-140j(d) of the Connecticut General Statutes. No person shall be issued more than one temporary certificate of personal watercraft operation. The issuance of a temporary certificate does not entitle the holder thereof to issuance of a certificate of personal watercraft operation issued by the Commissioner pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 15-140j of the Connecticut General Statutes.

(Effective September 24, 1992; Transferred and AmendedSeptember 8, 1998; Amended March 9, 2004; Amended July 8, 2011)