Tiogue Lake Personal Watercraft Registration


In accordance with Town of Coventry Ordinance Chapter 102, Article III, all personal watercraft operated on Tiogue Lake must be registered with the Town of Coventry through the Parks and Recreation Department.  

*This ordinance applies to Tiogue Lake only*

Completed forms can be brought to the Parks and Recreation Department, 1277 Main Street.  The office is open Monday thru Friday between the hours of 8:30am - 4:30pm.  Issuance of the permit requires a review by Coventry Municipal Court.  Permits will not be issued same day.


PWC REGISTRATION FORM



TOWN OF COVENTRY
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS
TIOGUE LAKE-PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ORDINANCE
ORDINANCE NO 03-02-0230

Definitions
  1. "Personal Watercraft" (PWC) - shall mean a vessel which uses an inboard motor powering a water jet pump as its primary source of motive power and which is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel, rather than the conventional method of sitting or standing inside the vessel.
  2. "Operator" - means a person who operates or who has charge of the navigation or use of a watercraft.
  3. "Tiogue Lake" - as used in this section shall mean the body of water commonly known as Tiogue Lake including the attached body of water immediately west of the Arnold Rd. Causeway.
Regulation of personal watercraft
  1. All operators of PWC shall adhere to all municipal, state, and federal regulations, laws, and ordinances.
  2. No person under the age of sixteen (16) shall operate a personal watercraft on the waters of Tiogue Lake.
  3. It is unlawful for the owner of any personal watercraft or any person having charge over or control of a personal watercraft to authorize or knowingly permit the watercraft to be operated by a person under sixteen (16) years of age.
  4. Retail establishments are prohibited from using Tiogue Lake for prospective buyers to test drive personal watercraft.
  5. Rental PWC use is prohibited on Tiogue Lake.
Town Registration Required
  1. No person shall operate a personal watercraft on Tiogue Lake that is not registered with the Town of Coventry.
  2. Application for a Town personal watercraft registration shall be made in writing to the Office of the Coventry Department of Parks and Recreation. Application for a personal watercraft registration shall be granted by the Coventry Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office for a term of one year.  All personal watercraft registrations shall expire together on the last day of March.
  3. The annual fee for a Town personal watercraft registration shall be $20.00 for residents of the Town of Coventry and $40.00 for non-residents. Proof of residency, proof of successful boater safety course completion, and proof of a valid, current state registration with ID number shall be required upon application.  Applicants must show 4-stroke engine verification when applying for a town PWC registration valid beyond March 31, 2007.
  4. Upon the receipt of the completed application and correct registration fee, the Town will conduct a records check with Coventry Municipal Court on the PWC and applicant. Upon successful completion of a Coventry Municipal Court records check and provided a previous offense does not prohibit registration, the Town of Coventry shall enter the application and registration fee into its records, and issue to the owner a certificate of registration and a Town registration sticker.  The owner shall attach the registration sticker to the bow of the personal watercraft in order that it may be clearly visible at all times.
  5. A personal watercraft shall not be required to be registered with the Town of Coventry if it is used by a police, fire, or emergency services agency.
Funds
All money, registration fees, and fines collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid into a restricted receipt account of the Town of Coventry to be made available and shall be allocated, distributed and used in the amounts sufficient to fund:
a.)  First;  Parks and Recreation Department personnel monitoring areas where personal watercraft may gain access to Tiogue Lake.
b.)  Second;  Parks and Recreation Department projects involving improvements to the Briar Point Beach area.
c.)  Third;  Coventry Police Department enforcement of Town Ordinances and RI General Laws on Tiogue Lake.
d.)  Fourth;  Hydrocarbon testing on Lake Tiogue.

PWC ban
The use of two-stroke engine personal watercraft on Tiogue Lake shall be prohibited after March 31, 2007.
The use of personal watercraft shall be prohibited on the attached body of water immediately west of the Arnold Rd. Causeway.

Enforcement and Penalties
The Coventry Police Department shall enforce this ordinance.
Any person in violation of this ordinance shall be issued a citation that will require the person to appear in Coventry Municipal Court.  The Coventry Municipal Court shall impose a fine of $300.00 for the first offense, $300.00 and a one month suspension of the Town personal watercraft registration for the second offense, $300.00 and a one year suspension of the Town personal watercraft registration for the third offense and each additional offense.  In addition to all fines, the Coventry Municipal Court may impose court costs.



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