Arizona HB 2398: watercraft; insurance requirements; penalties

Bill Text

HB2398 - 572R - S Ver 

 Senate Engrossed 
 House Bill

 watercraft; insurance 
 requirements; penalties

 State of Arizona

 House of Representatives

 Fifty-seventh Legislature

 Second Regular Session

 2026

 HOUSE BILL 2398

AN 
ACT

amending section 5-301, Arizona 
Revised Statutes; AMENDING title 5, chapter 3, article 5, Arizona Revised 
Statutes, by adding sections 5-342 and 5-342.01; amending sections 
5-350 and 5-371, arizona revised statutes; amending title 5, 
chapter 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding article 8.1; relating to 
operation of watercraft.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it 
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.1. Section 
5-301, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE5-301. Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Boat livery" means a 
business that rents, leases or charters a motorized watercraft, a personal 
watercraft or any other watercraft to the general public for noncommercial, 
recreational use.

1. 2. "Commercial 
motorized watercraft" means a motorized watercraft that carries passengers 
or property for a valuable consideration that is paid to the owner, charterer, 
operator or agent or to any other person interested in the watercraft.

2. 3. "Commission" 
means the Arizona game and fish commission.

3. 4. "Department" 
means the Arizona game and fish department.

4. 5. "Documented 
watercraft" means any watercraft currently registered as a watercraft of 
the United States pursuant to 46 Code of Federal Regulations part 67.

5. 6. "Domicile" 
means a person's true, fixed and permanent home and principal residence, proof 
of which may be demonstrated as prescribed by rules adopted by the commission. 

6. 7. "Launch" 
means any motorized watercraft that carries a coach and that is used to follow 
and monitor rowing shells during practice, training or competitive rowing 
events.

7. 8. "Motorboat" 
means any watercraft that is not more than sixty-five feet in length and 
that is propelled by machinery whether or not such machinery is the principal 
source of propulsion.

8. 9. "Motorized 
watercraft" means any watercraft that is propelled by machinery whether or 
not the machinery is the principal source of propulsion.

9. 10. "Nonresident" 
means a citizen of the United States or an alien person who is not domiciled in 
this state and who is not a resident as defined in this section. 

10. 11. "Operate" 
means to operate or be in actual physical control of a watercraft while on 
public waters.

11. 12. "Operator" 
means a person who operates or is in actual physical control of a watercraft.

12. 13. "Person" 
includes any individual, firm, corporation, partnership or association, and any 
agent, assignee, trustee, executor, receiver or representative thereof.

14. "Personal watercraft" 
means a watercraft that is all of the following:

(a) Less than 
sixteen feet long.

(b) Propelled 
by machinery powering a water-jet pump.

(c) Designed to 
be operated by a person who sits, stands or kneels on the watercraft rather 
than sitting or standing inside the watercraft.

13. 15. "Public 
waters" means any body of water that is publicly owned or that the public 
is allowed to use without permission of the owner and on 
which a motorized watercraft can be navigated, including that part of waters 
that is common to interstate boundaries and that is within the boundaries of 
this state.

14. 16. "Resident" 
means a person who is either:

(a) A member of the armed forces of the United 
States on active duty and stationed in this state for a period of thirty days 
immediately before the date of application for a watercraft decal.

(b) A member of the armed forces of the United 
States on active duty and stationed in another state or another country and who 
lists this state as that member's home of record at the time of an application 
for a watercraft decal.

(c) Domiciled in this state for at least six 
consecutive months immediately before the date of the application for a 
watercraft decal and who does not claim residency for any purpose in any other 
state or country.

15. 17. "Revocation" 
means invalidating the certificate of number, numbers and annual validation 
decals issued by the department to a watercraft and prohibiting the operation 
of the watercraft on the waters of this state during a period of noncompliance 
with this chapter.

16. 18. "Rowing 
shell" means a manually propelled watercraft that is recognized by a 
national racing association for use in practice, training or competitive 
rowing.

17. 19. "Sailboard" 
means any board of less than fifteen feet in length that is designed to be 
propelled by wind action on a sail for navigation on the water by a person 
operating the board.

18. 20. "Special 
anchorage area" means an area set aside and under the control of a 
federal, state or local governmental agency, or by a duly authorized marina 
operator or concessionaire for