(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), it is unlawful for any person born after January 1, 1989, to operate any vessel subject to registration on any waters of this state unless the operator:

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class C misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $50
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 69-9-226

  • Agency: means the wildlife resources agency. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Boat: means any vessel:
    (A) Manufactured or used primarily for noncommercial use. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Motorboat: means any vessel propelled by machinery, whether or not such machinery is the principal source of propulsion. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Operate: means to navigate, be in physical control of, or otherwise use a motorboat or a vessel. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Operator: means the person who operates or has charge of the navigation or use of a motorboat or vessel. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Owner: includes a person entitled to the use or possession of a motorboat or vessel subject to an interest in another person, reserved or created by agreement and securing payment or performance of an obligation, but "owner" excludes a lessee under a lease not intended as security. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or other entity. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Registration: means satisfying the requirements for registration prescribed by the commission. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Vessel: means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) Has successfully completed a monitored National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved boating safety examination administered by the agency or an approved representative of the agency; and
(2) Has received a certificate from the Tennessee wildlife resources agency as evidence of successful completion of a monitored NASBLA-approved boating safety examination administered by the agency or an approved representative of the agency; or
(3) Is accompanied on the vessel by, and is under the direct supervision of a person who:

(A) Is eighteen (18) years of age or older and is certified as provided in subdivisions (a)(1) and (2); or
(B) Was born on or before January 1, 1989.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to:

(1) Nonresidents of Tennessee. Nonresidents of Tennessee shall show proof of successful completion of an approved NASBLA course;
(2) Vessels powered by engines of eight and one-half (8.5) horsepower or less;
(3) Persons with operator licenses issued by the United States coast guard; or
(4) Operators of sailboats when under sail alone.
(c) Certificates of completion of boating safety courses required by this section:

(1) Must be in the possession of the boat operator while such boat is in operation;
(2) Shall contain a physical description of the boat operator, including, but not limited to, the operator’s address, date of birth, and a unique tracking number;
(3) Shall not expire, but may be revoked by action of an applicable court; and
(4) Shall be issued for a fee of ten dollars ($10.00). Replacement cards shall be issued for a fee of five dollars ($5.00).
(d)

(1) Except as permitted under subdivision (d)(4), a marina, livery, or other rental operation shall not hire, lease, or rent a motorboat to any renter without first providing the renter with an orientation pertinent to the motorboat type being hired, leased, or rented. Any orientation provided under this subdivision (d)(1) must be approved by the agency and include at least the following information:

(A) Basic operation of the motorboat, including steering capability when the power is decreased or at idle;
(B) Required safety equipment;
(C) Rules for the operation of vessels on the waters of this state;
(D) The meaning of the state uniform waterway marking system buoys; and
(E) Any laws or agency rules specific to the particular motorboat type.
(2) A renter must acknowledge in writing that the renter has received the orientation required by subdivision (d)(1) before the marina, livery, or other rental operation may allow the renter to operate the motorboat on the waters of this state.
(3) A marina, livery, or other rental operation shall maintain any written acknowledgement executed by a renter from the marina, livery, or other rental operation under subdivision (b)(2) for a period of time to be established by rule of the agency, but not less than thirty (30) days. A written acknowledgement must be available for inspection by the agency during regular business hours.
(4) A marina, livery, or other rental operation is not required to provide orientation to a renter who:

(A) Has successfully completed a monitored NASBLA-approved boating safety examination as described in subdivision (a)(1) and received a certificate from the agency as described in subdivision (a)(2);
(B) Is a nonresident of this state who shows proof of successful completion of an approved NASBLA course;
(C) Has been issued an operator license by the United States coast guard; or
(D) Was born on or before January 1, 1989.
(e) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor punished by a fine only and, in addition to the fine, a court may revoke a certificate of completion of a boat safety course. It is unlawful for an owner or person directly in charge of a vessel subject to registration to authorize or permit knowingly such vessel to be operated on the waters of this state in violation of this section.
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