73-18-7 - Registration requirements -- Exemptions -- Fee -- Agents -- Records -- Period of registration and renewal -- Expiration -- Notice of transfer of interest or change of address -- Duplicate re
73-18-7. Registration requirements -- Exemptions -- Fee -- Agents -- Records --Period of registration and renewal -- Expiration -- Notice of transfer of interest or changeof address -- Duplicate registration card -- Invalid registration -- Powers of board.
(1) (a) Except as provided by Section 73-18-9, the owner of each motorboat and sailboaton the waters of this state shall register it with the division as provided in this chapter.
(b) A person may not place, give permission for the placement of, operate, or givepermission for the operation of a motorboat or sailboat on the waters of this state, unless themotorboat or sailboat is registered as provided in this chapter.
(2) (a) The owner of a motorboat or sailboat required to be registered shall file anapplication for registration with the division on forms approved by the division.
(b) The owner of the motorboat or sailboat shall sign the application and pay the fee setby the board in accordance with Section 63J-1-504.
(c) Before receiving a registration card and registration decals, the applicant shall providethe division with a certificate from the county assessor of the county in which the motorboat orsailboat has situs for taxation, stating that:
(i) the property tax on the motorboat or sailboat for the current year has been paid;
(ii) in the county assessor's opinion, the property tax is a lien on real property sufficientto secure the payment of the property tax; or
(iii) the motorboat or sailboat is exempt by law from payment of property tax for thecurrent year.
(d) If the board modifies the fee under Subsection (2)(b), the modification shall takeeffect on the first day of the calendar quarter after 90 days from the day on which the boardprovides the State Tax Commission:
(i) notice from the board stating that the board will modify the fee; and
(ii) a copy of the fee modification.
(3) (a) Upon receipt of the application in the approved form, the division shall record thereceipt and issue to the applicant registration decals and a registration card that state the numberassigned to the motorboat or sailboat and the name and address of the owner.
(b) The registration card shall be available for inspection on the motorboat or sailboat forwhich it was issued, whenever that motorboat or sailboat is in operation.
(4) The assigned number shall:
(a) be painted or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the motorboator sailboat;
(b) consist of plain vertical block characters not less than three inches in height;
(c) contrast with the color of the background and be distinctly visible and legible;
(d) have spaces or hyphens equal to the width of a letter between the letter and numeralgroupings; and
(e) read from left to right.
(5) A motorboat or sailboat with a valid marine document issued by the United StatesCoast Guard is exempt from the number display requirements of Subsection (4).
(6) The nonresident owner of any motorboat or sailboat already covered by a validnumber that has been assigned to it according to federal law or a federally approved numberingsystem of the owner's resident state is exempt from registration while operating the motorboat orsailboat on the waters of this state unless the owner is operating in excess of the reciprocityperiod provided for in Subsection 73-18-9(1).
(7) (a) If the ownership of a motorboat or sailboat changes, the new owner shall file anew application form and fee with the division, and the division shall issue a new registrationcard and registration decals in the same manner as provided for in Subsections (2) and (3).
(b) The division shall reassign the current number assigned to the motorboat or sailboatto the new owner to display on the motorboat or sailboat.
(8) If the United States Coast Guard has in force an overall system of identificationnumbering for motorboats or sailboats within the United States, the numbering system employedunder this chapter by the board shall conform with that system.
(9) (a) The division may authorize any person to act as its agent for the registration ofmotorboats and sailboats.
(b) A number assigned, a registration card, and registration decals issued by an agent ofthe division in conformity with this chapter and rules of the board are valid.
(10) (a) The Motor Vehicle Division shall classify all records of the division made orkept according to this section in the same manner that motor vehicle records are classified underSection 41-1a-116.
(b) Division records are available for inspection in the same manner as motor vehiclerecords pursuant to Section 41-1a-116.
(11) (a) (i) Each registration, registration card, and decal issued under this chapter shallcontinue in effect for 12 months, beginning with the first day of the calendar month ofregistration.
(ii) A registration may be renewed by the owner in the same manner provided for in theinitial application.
(iii) The division shall reassign the current number assigned to the motorboat or sailboatwhen the registration is renewed.
(b) Each registration, registration card, and registration decal expires the last day of themonth in the year following the calendar month of registration.
(c) If the last day of the registration period falls on a day in which the appropriate state orcounty offices are not open for business, the registration of the motorboat or sailboat is extendedto 12 midnight of the next business day.
(d) The division may receive applications for registration renewal and issue newregistration cards at any time before the expiration of the registration, subject to the availabilityof renewal materials.
(e) The new registration shall retain the same expiration month as recorded on theoriginal registration even if the registration has expired.
(f) The year of registration shall be changed to reflect the renewed registration period.
(g) If the registration renewal application is an application generated by the divisionthrough its automated system, the owner is not required to surrender the last registration card orduplicate.
(12) (a) An owner shall notify the division of:
(i) the transfer of all or any part of the owner's interest, other than creation of a securityinterest, in a motorboat or sailboat registered in this state under Subsections (2) and (3); and
(ii) the destruction or abandonment of the owner's motorboat or sailboat.
(b) Notification must take place within 15 days of the transfer, destruction, orabandonment.
(c) (i) The transfer, destruction, or abandonment of a motorboat or sailboat terminates its
registration.
(ii) Notwithstanding Subsection (12)(c)(i), a transfer of a part interest that does not affectthe owner's right to operate a motorboat or sailboat does not terminate the registration.
(13) (a) A registered owner shall notify the division within 15 days if the owner's addresschanges from the address appearing on the registration card and shall, as a part of thisnotification, furnish the division with the owner's new address.
(b) The board may provide in its rules for:
(i) the surrender of the registration card bearing the former address; and
(ii) (A) the replacement of the card with a new registration card bearing the new address;or
(B) the alteration of an existing registration card to show the owner's new address.
(14) (a) If a registration card is lost or stolen, the division may collect a fee of $4 for theissuance of a duplicate card.
(b) If a registration decal is lost or stolen, the division may collect a fee of $3 for theissuance of a duplicate decal.
(15) A number other than the number assigned to a motorboat or sailboat or a number fora motorboat or sailboat granted reciprocity under this chapter may not be painted, attached, orotherwise displayed on either side of the bow of a motorboat or sailboat.
(16) A motorboat or sailboat registration and number are invalid if obtained byknowingly falsifying an application for registration.
(17) The board may designate the suffix to assigned numbers, and by following theprocedures and requirements of Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,make rules for:
(a) the display of registration decals;
(b) the issuance and display of dealer numbers and registrations; and
(c) the issuance and display of temporary registrations.
Amended by Chapter 183, 2009 General Session