Section 2080.75  Rental Boats

a)         The operators of boat rental services shall be authorized to rent only vessels designated by the license and only on bodies of water designated on the license.

b)         The operators of boat rental services shall provide to the Department, each time their license is renewed, a statement certifying that each boat offered for rent is of sound construction and is safe for use on the water.  All rental boats shall be subject to periodic, unannounced inspections by the Department to ensure that they are being suitably maintained for safe public use under the safety requirements set out in the Boat Registration and Safety Act [625 ILCS 45].

c)         The operators of boat rental services shall offer abbreviated Department and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved operating and safety instruction specific to the type of watercraft being rented to the renter and all potential operators of the rented vessel, unless the renter/operators can demonstrate compliance with the Illinois Boating Safety Certificate requirements (see 625 ILCS 45/5-18).  Operators of boat rental services shall:

1)         maintain records of persons renting a watercraft for a period of at least one year.  Those records shall contain proof of boat safety education card or, if taking the abbreviated safety instruction, a minimum of the renter's name, date of birth, driver's license number (if available) and signature. 

2)         provide a receipt to the renter indicating the abbreviated safety course was completed.

3)         allow inspection of required records by an authorized employee of the Department or by an authorized State or federal law enforcement officer during reasonable business hours.

d)         All rental boat applicants are required to be registered per 625 ILCS 45/3-1 and shall provide a serial number, Hull Identification Number or other permanently affixed identification number on the watercraft so tracking of rental stickers can be verified.  If no such number is on the watercraft, a system of tracking and uniquely identifying each craft must be documented in the rental agency's records and available for inspection by Conservation Police Officers during normal business hours.

e)         Boat rental applications must identify what type of rental watercraft each watercraft is on the application, including, but not limited to, human powered craft, motorboat or sailboat.

f)         It shall be unlawful for any boat rental service to provide false or fictitious information on records related to this Section.

g)         It shall be unlawful for any person renting a watercraft from a licensed boat rental service to provide false or fictitious information required by this Section to that rental service.  Operators of rented watercraft shall have in their possession proof of abbreviated safety instruction or an Illinois Boating Safety Certificate.

h)         Violation of this Section is a petty offense.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 8394, effective June 23, 2021)