2006 Code of Virginia § 29.1-749.2 - Local regulation of personal watercraft rentals; penalty

29.1-749.2. Local regulation of personal watercraft rentals; penalty.

A. Any city with a population in excess of 390,000 may by ordinance regulatepersonal watercraft as provided in this section. Any ordinance enactedpursuant to this section may include any of the following provisions:

1. Any business which offers personal watercraft for rent shall (i) requireany person to whom a personal watercraft is rented to present, prior to suchrental, a government-issued identification card containing his photograph and(ii) retain such identification card, or a copy thereof, during the time thepersonal watercraft is being rented.

2. No person who rents or leases a personal watercraft shall knowinglymisrepresent any material fact or falsify any information requested on therental agreement or application.

3. Any business which offers personal watercraft for hourly short-term rentalshall have at least one motorboat of at least fifty horsepower operated by anemployee or agent of the business, in order to monitor and ensure the safeoperation of the personal watercraft.

4. No business which offers personal watercraft for rent shall rent apersonal watercraft that has an engine displacement which exceeds 800 cubiccentimeters.

5. Any business which offers personal watercraft for rent shall have at leasttwo marine VHF radios in operation during the time that a personal watercraftrental is being operated. The radios shall monitor channel 16 whenever theyare not being actively used on a working channel.

B. Any locality may by ordinance establish standards for insurance coveragefor any business which offers personal watercraft for rent.

C. Any ordinance adopted by a locality pursuant to this section may providefor a penalty for violation of the ordinance not to exceed the penaltyapplicable to a Class 3 misdemeanor.

(1998, c. 563; 1999, c. 536.)