HB490 Summary

• Requires all nonresidents to obtain a valid boater safety certification from their home state or country, or obtain a Nonresident Alabama Boater Safety Certification before operating vessels on Alabama waters, eliminating the previous 45-day exemption for nonresidents from states without boater safety requirements.

• Establishes exceptions allowing nonresidents with valid home state/country certifications and those engaged in commercial activities or rental vessel operations (under specified conditions) to operate without Alabama certification.

• Updates engine cut-off switch requirements for recreational vessels to comply with federal standards (American Boat and Yacht Council Standard A-33) rather than state-specific requirements for vessels less than 24 feet.

• Raises the minimum age to operate personal watercraft from 12 to 14 years old and establishes that individuals operating covered recreational vessels must use engine cut-off switch links while operating at plane or above displacement speed.

• Establishes violations as Class B misdemeanors with minimum fines of $25 to $100 and effective date of the first day of the third month following passage and approval.