(1) It is unlawful for any person to operate or use a vessel on the waters of this state or to possess a vessel at a vessel staging area unless the vessel has been numbered and the division has issued a certificate of the number, referred to in this article 13 as a "registration", to the vessel. The operator of the vessel shall produce the registration for inspection upon demand of any officer authorized to enforce articles 10 to 15 and 32 of this title 33. The following are exempt from the requirements of this subsection (1) and from the vessel registration fee as specified by the commission by rule:
Any vessel which is neither a motorboat nor a sailboat as defined in section 33-13102; except that canoes, kayaks, and nonmotorized rafts exempted by this paragraph (a) shall be marked as required by subsection (5) of this section;
Vessels holding a valid marine document issued by the United States;
Vessels which are numbered in accordance with applicable federal law or in accordance with a federally approved numbering system of another state when the registration is valid and the identifying number set forth in the registration is displayed on each side of the bow of such vessel, which vessel is not used within this state during a period of not more than sixty consecutive days;
A vessel from a country other than the United States temporarily using the waters ofthis state;
A vessel belonging to a class of vessels which has been exempted after the divisionhas found that the numbering of vessels of such class will not materially aid their identification, and, if an agency of the federal government has a numbering system applicable to the class of vessels to which the vessel in question belongs, after the division has further found that the vessel would also be exempt from numbering if it were subject to federal law;
Any vessel defined as a sailboard in section 33-13-102 (3.7) shall be marked as required by subsection (5) of this section.
Every registration issued pursuant to this article shall continue in full force and effectfor a period ending December 31 of the year of issuance of the registration unless sooner terminated or discontinued in accordance with the provisions of this article. A registration may be renewed by the owner in the same manner as that provided for obtaining the initial registration. The same number shall be reissued if the application for renewal is received by the division within thirty days before the date of expiration.
The commission shall prescribe by rule a system of numbering that complies with thefederal system for numbering vessels.
Any person who violates subsection (1) of this section is guilty of a class 2 pettyoffense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.
It is unlawful for any person to operate or use a canoe, kayak, sailboard, or nonmotorized raft which is not required to be registered under subsection (1) of this section on the waters of this state unless it has been marked with the owner's name and current address in a legible, clearly visible, and durable fashion. Any person who violates this subsection (5) is guilty of a petty offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of fifteen dollars.
Source: L. 84: Entire article added, p. 897, § 2, effective January 1, 1985. L. 88: (1)(a) and (5) amended, p. 1165, §§ 2, 3, effective March 16. L. 93: (1)(f) added and (5) amended, p. 1836, §§ 2, 3, effective July 1. L. 95: IP(1) and (4) amended, p. 967, § 5, effective July 1. L. 96: IP(1) amended, p. 782, § 5, effective May 23. L. 2003: IP(1) and (4) amended, p. 1945, § 16, effective May 22. L. 2011: IP(1) and (1)(b) amended, (SB 11-092), ch. 182, p. 694, § 4, effective May 19. L. 2012: (3) amended, (HB 12-1317), ch. 248, p. 1225, § 56, effective June 4. L. 2018: IP(1) amended, (HB 18-1139), ch. 71, p. 634, § 3, effective August 8. L. 2019: (4) amended, (HB 19-1026), ch. 423, p. 3697, § 18, effective July 1.
Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 33-31-103 as it existed prior to 1984.
(2) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2026, pursuant to § 33-13-116.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 18-1139, see section 1 of chapter 71, Session Laws of Colorado 2018. For the short title ("Respect the Great Outdoors Act") and the legislative declaration in HB 19-1026, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 423, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.