GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 1999

SENATE BILL 499
RATIFIED BILL

AN ACT TO INCREASE THE FEES FOR REGISTRATION OF BOATS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 75A-4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 75A-4. Identification numbers required.
Every vessel on the waters of this State shall be numbered, except those vessels exempted from numbering under G.S. 75A-7. No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of any vessel on such waters unless the vessel is numbered in accordance with this Chapter, or in accordance with applicable federal law, or in accordance with a federally approved numbering system of another state, and unless
(1)	The certificate of number awarded to such vessel is in full force and effect, and
(2)	The identifying number set forth in the certificate of number is displayed on each side of the bow of such vessel."
Section 2.  G.S. 75A-5(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	The owner of each vessel requiring numbering by this State shall file an application for number with the Wildlife Resources Commission on forms approved by it.  The application shall be signed by the owner of the vessel, or his agent, and shall be accompanied by a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for a one-year period or by a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for a three-year period; provided, however, there shall be no fee charged for vessels owned and operated by nonprofit rescue squads if they are operated exclusively for rescue purposes, including rescue training.  The applicant shall have the option of selecting a one-year numbering period or a three-year numbering period.  Upon receipt of the application in approved form, the Commission shall have the same entered upon the records of its office and issue to the applicant a certificate of number stating the number awarded to the vessel and the name and address of the owner, and a validation decal indicating the expiration date of the certificate of number.  The owner shall paint on or attach to each side of the bow of the vessel the identification number in such manner as may be prescribed by rules of the Commission in order that it may be clearly visible.  The number shall be maintained in legible condition.  The validation decal shall be displayed on the starboard bow of the vessel immediately following the number.  The certificate of number shall be pocket size and shall be available at all times for inspection on the vessel for which issued, whenever such vessel is in operation.  Provided, however, any person charged with failing to so carry such certificate of number shall not be convicted if he produces in court a certificate of number theretofore issued to him and valid at the time of his arrest."
Section 3.  G.S. 75A-5(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Should the ownership of a vessel change, a new application form with a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for a one-year period or by a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for a three-year period shall be filed with the Wildlife Resources Commission and a new certificate bearing the same number shall be awarded the new owner in the manner as provided for in an original award of number.  In case a certificate should become lost, a new certificate bearing the same number shall be issued upon payment of a fee of two dollars ($2.00).  Possession of the certificate shall in cases involving prosecution for violation of any provision of this Chapter be prima facie evidence that the person whose name appears therein is the owner of the boat referred to therein."
Section 4.  G.S. 75A-5(h) reads as rewritten:
	"(h)  (Effective July 1, 1999) Each certificate of number awarded pursuant to this Chapter must be renewed on or before the first day of the month next succeeding that during which the same expires; otherwise, such certificate shall lapse and be void until such time as it may thereafter be renewed. Application for renewal shall be submitted on a form approved by the Wildlife Resources Commission and shall be accompanied by a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for a one-year period or by a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for a three-year period; provided, there shall be no fee required for renewal of certificates of number which have been previously issued to commercial fishing vessels as defined in G.S. 75A-5.1, upon compliance with all of the requirements of that section."
Section 5.  G.S. 75A-3(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	The Boating Account is established within the Wildlife Resources Fund created under G.S. 143-250. All moneys collected pursuant to the numbering and titling provisions of this Chapter shall be credited to this Account. Gasoline excise tax revenue is credited to the Account under G.S. 105-449.126. Revenue in the Account shall be used by the Wildlife Resources Commission, subject to the Executive Budget Act and the Personnel Act, for the administration and enforcement of this Chapter; for activities relating to boating and water safety including education and waterway marking and improvement; and for boating access area acquisition, development, and maintenance.  At least three dollars ($3.00) of each one-year vessel registration fee and at least nine dollars ($9.00) of each three-year vessel registration fee collected under the numbering provisions of G.S. 75A-5 shall be used for boating access area acquisition, development, and maintenance."
Section 6.  Section 5 of this act becomes effective January 1, 2000, and applies to fees collected from each boat registration in effect on or after that date.  The remainder of this act becomes effective January 1, 2000.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of July, 1999.

	─────────────────── 
	Dennis A. Wicker
	President of the Senate

	─────────────────── 
	James B. Black
	Speaker of the House of Representatives

	─────────────────── 
	James B. Hunt, Jr.
	Governor

Approved 	.m. this 	 day of 	, 19