Vessels: operation: registration.

The registration requirement now applies only to 'recreational vessels' - defined as vessels used only for pleasure and less than 70 feet in length - rather than all vessels using California waters. This excludes commercial, fishing, and large vessels from the new registration mandate.

The ski flag exemption in Section 658.7 was expanded to include 'public safety activities' as a new exempt category, alongside existing exemptions for professional exhibitions and authorized marine events.

The effective date for the recreational vessel registration requirement was changed from July 1, 2027 to January 1, 2028.

A sunset clause was added: the registration provision (Section 9850(b)) remains in effect only until January 1, 2034 and is repealed as of that date. A new Section 9850 preserving the old numbering rules for undocumented vessels becomes operative on January 1, 2034.

The 'registration sticker' was renamed a 'registration decal.' New duration-based thresholds were added: owners must apply for the decal if the vessel remains in California waters for more than 60 days, and must display it if the vessel remains for more than 90 days.

A new provision clarifies that the decal is not a form of registration, does not create a second title or affect a title, and does not affect lien proceedings. New definitions were added for 'recreational vessel' (pleasure use, under 70 feet) and 'vessel' (per Section 760 of the Harbors and Navigation Code).

References to the 'Department of Motor Vehicles' were changed to 'Division of Boating and Waterways' in Section 9851, reflecting an organizational name change.

All amendments to Section 655.7 of the Harbors and Navigation Code were deleted, removing requirements for personal watercraft operators to attach lanyards, prohibitions on altering engine cut-off switches, rules against unsafe maneuvers (jumping wakes, spraying), a sunset-to-sunrise operating ban, and definitions for 'covered vessel.'

Universal vessel registration (to the extent permissible under federal law) now has an explicit effective date of July 1, 2027, rather than taking effect immediately upon enactment as in the Assembly version.

Owners of vessels that have a valid federal marine document and are registered with the DMV must obtain a registration sticker from the department and display it within 18 inches of the normal boarding area or on the mast, visible whether doors and hatches are open or closed. The sticker may not be larger than one issued to an undocumented vessel.

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' and state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now triggers additional fiscal analysis and local program reimbursement considerations.

New Section 267 of the Harbors and Navigation Code authorizes peace officers trained in vessel accident investigation to issue written notices to appear (citations) for non-felony boating law violations that were a factor in a vessel accident, mirroring existing traffic accident citation authority.

Section 23640 of the Vehicle Code is expanded to prohibit courts from staying, suspending, or dismissing proceedings for vessel DUI charges (HNC 655(b)-(f)), matching the existing prohibition that already applied to vehicle DUI cases under VC 23152/23153.

Section 760 of the Harbors and Navigation Code redefines 'for-hire vessel' from any vessel carrying more than three passengers for hire to any vessel carrying one or more passengers for hire, significantly expanding the scope of vessels subject to criminal penalties for operating without authorization.

Section 9850 of the Vehicle Code is amended to require every vessel using California waters to be registered with the DMV (to the extent permissible under federal law), rather than only requiring undocumented vessels to be numbered. This is a major expansion of the registration mandate.

Section 658.7 of the Harbors and Navigation Code adds a new subdivision (b) making it an infraction (fine up to $15) for any vessel operator to fail to display a ski flag indicating a swimmer in the vicinity, not just vessels towing skiers.

Section 9851 of the Vehicle Code is updated to clarify fee exemptions for vessels owned by state agencies, local public agencies, or the United States, and adds a specific exemption for vessels owned by the Department of Boating and Waterways.

A new Section 7 provides that no reimbursement is required under Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the act only creates new crimes or infractions or changes penalties, which are exempt from state-mandated local program reimbursement.