1. (a) Vessels of the following classes are not required to be numbered or display a Connecticut registration decal by this state:

   1. (1) Motorboats which have a valid marine document issued by the United States Coast Guard, provided the owner of any such vessel used upon the waters of this state for more than sixty days in any calendar year shall be required to comply with the registration requirements in section 15-144; (2) vessels owned in countries other than the United States temporarily using the waters of the state; (3) vessels owned by the United States, a state or a political subdivision of a state which are used in the performance of governmental functions; (4) vessels used exclusively as ships' lifeboats; (5) vessels belonging to any class which the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection exempts upon finding that the numbering of such vessels does not materially aid in their identification; provided, the commissioner shall not exempt any such class of vessels which is subject to the provisions of the federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 and which has not been exempted therefrom under the provisions of Subsection (b) of Section 19 of said act; (6) vessels principally used in another state for which valid, effective certificates of number were awarded by the United States or by such other state pursuant to the provisions of the federal Boat Safety Act of 1971; provided, the owner of a vessel used upon the waters of this state for more than sixty days in any calendar year shall be required to comply with the registration requirements in section 15-144; and (7) any vessel less than nineteen and one-half feet in length which is not a motorboat as defined in section 15-141, and any vessel propelled solely by oar or paddle.
2. (b) Vessels, the sale or transfer of which is subject to the provisions of Section 37 of the Shipping Act, 1916, shall be numbered by this state only when such sale or transfer is approved by the United States Maritime Administration.

(1961, P.A. 506, S. 9, 10; P.A. 73-257, S. 9, 27; P.A. 81-423, S. 4, 25; P.A. 82-283, S. 2, 4; 82-436, S. 1, 11; 82-472, S. 32, 183; P.A. 83-253, S. 2, 3; P.A. 05-133, S. 4; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 73-257 replaced U.S. Bureau of Customs with U.S. Coast Guard in Subsec. (a)(1), replaced “board” with “commissioner of environmental protection” in Subsec. (a)(5) and rephrased provisions, deleted provision re recording certificates from U.S. or other states before boat used in this state in Subsec. (a)(6), added statement that boat used in state for more than 60 days a year deemed principally used in this state and replaced references to Federal Boating Act of 1958 with references to Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971; P.A. 81-423 exempted vessels under 19.5 feet which are not motorboats and vessels propelled solely by oar or paddle from numbering requirement and substituted “vessels” for “motorboats” throughout section; P.A. 82-283 and 82-436 added provisions, in conformance with Sec. 15-142, that vessel with marine document from United States Coast Guard is not required to be numbered in this state, however, if in state waters more than 60 days in any year, such vessel must be registered; P.A. 82-436 also added reference to “any canoe equipped with a motor the horsepower of which is less than five” in Subsec. (a)(7); P.A. 82-472 removed provision re canoes added by P.A. 82-436; P.A. 83-253 added language in Subsec. (a) modifying references to use of any vessel so that the use referred to, for purposes of determining when registration is required, is the use of such vessel upon the waters of this state; P.A. 05-133 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision that vessels of specified classes not be required to display a Connecticut registration decal; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a)(5), effective July 1, 2011.