South Carolina § 50-21-85 - Conditions for operation of vessel displaying blue light; operating procedure in presence of such vessel; violations.

§ 50-21-85. Conditions for operation of vessel displaying blue light; operating procedure in presence of such vessel; violations.

A person shall not operate a vessel displaying or using a rotating, strobing, flashing, or intermittently reflecting blue light unless a duly commissioned law enforcement officer is on board.

The operator of a vessel being approached by a vessel flashing a blue light shall stop or maneuver in a way as to permit boarding, so far as possible without endangering his vessel, and not begin normal movement again until directed by the law enforcement officer or until the vessel flashing a blue light has cleared the immediate area.

The operator of a vessel approaching an area where a vessel flashing a blue light is located or patrolling shall slow his vessel to a no wake speed and shall maintain the speed until clear of the area.

A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than thirty days for each violation.

HISTORY: 1979 Act No. 68, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1269; 2011 Act No. 59, SECTION 1, eff August 1, 2011.

Effect of Amendment

The 2011 amendment, in the first paragraph, substituted "A person shall not operate a vessel displaying, or using a rotating, strobing, flashing, or intermittently reflecting" for "No person shall operate any vessel displaying, reflecting or flashing a"; in the second paragraph, substituted "a vessel" for "any vessel" following "The operator of", deleted "such" preceding "a way as to permit", and deleted "own" following "without endangering his"; in the third paragraph, substituted "a vessel" for "any vessel" following "The operator of", and substituted "the speed" for "such speed"; and in the fourth paragraph, substituted "A person" for "Any person" and "must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than thirty days for each violation" for "shall be punished as provided in Section 50-21-150".