West Virginia § 20-7-16 - 20-7-16. Boat liveries.

§ 20-7-16. 20-7-16. Boat liveries.

(a) The owner or operator of a boat livery or rental facility shall cause to be kept a record of the name and address of the person or persons hiring any vessel including personal watercrafts which is designed or permitted by him or her to be operated as a motorboat, identification number thereof, and the departure date and time, and the expected time of return. The record shall be preserved for at least six months.

(b) Neither the owner or operator of a boat livery or rental facility, nor his or her agent or employee, shall permit any motorboat, personal watercraft or any vessel designed or permitted by him or her to be operated as a motorboat or personal watercraft to depart from his or her premises unless it shall have been provided, either by owner or renter, with the equipment required pursuant to section thirteen of this article and any rules made pursuant thereto.

(c) The owner or operator of a boat livery or rental facility, or his or her agent or employee, shall provide boating safety orientation for all persons that rent any vessel, including personal watercrafts, unless that person holds a certificate as required by section twelve-b, article seven of this chapter. The owner of a boat livery or rental facility, or his or her agent or employee, shall also provide to the operator or operators in print, prior to rental, the operational characteristics of personal watercrafts.

(d) The owner or operator of a boat livery or rental facility, or his or her agent or employee, may not lease, hire or rent a personal watercraft to any person under eighteen years of age.

(e) The owner or operator of a boat livery or rental facility, or his or her agent or employee, shall provide to the operator or operators of rental vessels, boats or personal watercrafts, in print, all pertinent boating rules including, but not limited to, those rules that may be peculiar to the area of the rental, such as no-wake zones, restricted areas, channel markers, water hazard markers and swimming zones.

(f) The owner or operator of a boat livery or rental facility shall carry liability insurance of at least $300,000 and possess the license and surety bond as required by section twenty-three-d, article two of this chapter.