{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/29.1-749.3.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/29.1-749.3.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/29.1-749.3.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/29.1-749.3.html"}],"law_id":357177,"edition_id":2,"section_id":357177,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.3","catch_line":"Personal watercraft instruction; rental agents","history":"1998, c. 512.","full_text":"Any person who is in the business of renting personal watercraft to the public shall provide to any person who rents a personal watercraft instruction on the laws of the Commonwealth governing motorboat operation, specific operating requirements of the personal watercraft being rented, motorboat safety equipment requirements, requirements in the case of a reportable accident, and such other information as the Director may require. The content and methods of instruction shall be approved by the Director.\n\nAny attorney for the county, city or town in which an alleged violation of this section occurred may enforce this section by a civil action to recover a civil penalty not to exceed $250. The civil penalty shall be paid into the local treasury. No filing fee or other fee or cost shall be charged to the county, city or town which instituted the action.\n\nThe fact of a violation of this section shall not constitute negligence per se, be considered in mitigation of damages of whatever nature, be admissible in evidence or be the subject of comment by counsel in any action for the recovery of damages arising out of the operation, ownership or maintenance of a personal watercraft. This section shall not change any existing law, rule or procedure pertaining to any such civil action, nor shall this section bar any claim which otherwise exists.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1329282,"text":"Any person who is in the business of renting personal watercraft to the public shall provide to any person who rents a personal watercraft instruction on the laws of the Commonwealth governing motorboat operation, specific operating requirements of the personal watercraft being rented, motorboat safety equipment requirements, requirements in the case of a reportable accident, and such other information as the Director may require. The content and methods of instruction shall be approved by the Director.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1329283,"text":"Any attorney for the county, city or town in which an alleged violation of this section occurred may enforce this section by a civil action to recover a civil penalty not to exceed $250. The civil penalty shall be paid into the local treasury. No filing fee or other fee or cost shall be charged to the county, city or town which instituted the action.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1329284,"text":"The fact of a violation of this section shall not constitute negligence per se, be considered in mitigation of damages of whatever nature, be admissible in evidence or be the subject of comment by counsel in any action for the recovery of damages arising out of the operation, ownership or maintenance of a personal watercraft. This section shall not change any existing law, rule or procedure pertaining to any such civil action, nor shall this section bar any claim which otherwise exists.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":51097,"edition_id":2,"name":"Personal Watercraft","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51092,"metadata":{"child_laws":8,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:30","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:55","permalink":{"id":1420773,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51097,"identifier":"4","token":"29.1\/7\/4","url":"\/29.1\/7\/4\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51092,"edition_id":2,"name":"Boating Laws","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":12,"parent_id":51066,"metadata":{"child_laws":85,"child_structures":5},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:37:21","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:54","permalink":{"id":1420455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51092,"identifier":"7","token":"29.1\/7","url":"\/29.1\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51066,"edition_id":2,"name":"Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating","identifier":"29.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":72,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":397,"child_structures":36},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:36:48","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:31:51","permalink":{"id":1419279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51066,"identifier":"29.1","token":"29.1","url":"\/29.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":357172,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-747","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/29.1-747\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-747","metadata":false},{"id":357174,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-748","catch_line":"Restrictions on operation; penalty","url":"\/29.1-748\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748","metadata":false},{"id":357173,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-748.1","catch_line":"Local ordinances; operation on lakes; minimum distance from shoreline; penalty","url":"\/29.1-748.1\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-748.1","metadata":false},{"id":357178,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749","catch_line":"Owner of personal watercraft permitting violation; penalty","url":"\/29.1-749\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749","metadata":false},{"id":357175,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.1","catch_line":"Identification of personal watercraft rentals","url":"\/29.1-749.1\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.1","metadata":false},{"id":357176,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.2","catch_line":"Local regulation of personal watercraft rentals; penalty","url":"\/29.1-749.2\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.2","metadata":false},{"id":357177,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.3","catch_line":"Personal watercraft instruction; rental agents","url":"\/29.1-749.3\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.3","metadata":false},{"id":357179,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-750","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/29.1-750\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-750","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":357176,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-749.2","catch_line":"Local regulation of personal watercraft rentals; penalty","url":"\/29.1-749.2\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":357179,"structure_id":51097,"section_number":"29.1-750","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/29.1-750\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-750","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/29.1-749.3\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1998. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 512<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1420799,"object_type":"law","relational_id":357177,"identifier":"29.1-749.3","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.3","url":"\/29.1-749.3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/29.1-749.3\/","token":"29.1\/7\/4\/29.1-749.3","dublin_core":{"Title":"Personal watercraft instruction; rental agents","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 29.1-749.3","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person who is in the business of renting personal watercraft<\/span> to the public shall provide to any person who rents a personal watercraft<\/span> instruction on the laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth governing motorboat<\/span> operation, specific operating requirements of the personal watercraft<\/span> being rented, motorboat<\/span> safety equipment requirements, requirements in the case of a reportable accident, and such other information as the Director<\/span> may require. The content and methods of instruction shall be approved by the Director<\/span>.<\/p>

Any attorney for the county, city or town in which an alleged violation of this section occurred may enforce this section by a civil action<\/span> to recover a civil penalty<\/span> not to exceed $250. The civil penalty<\/span> shall be paid into the local treasury. No filing fee or other fee or cost shall be charged to the county, city or town which instituted the action.<\/p>

The fact<\/span> of a violation of this section shall not constitute negligence<\/span> per se, be considered in mitigation of damages<\/span> of whatever nature, be admissible<\/span> in evidence<\/span> or be the subject of comment by counsel<\/span> in any action for the recovery of damages<\/span> arising out of the operation, ownership or maintenance of a personal watercraft<\/span>. This section shall not change any existing law<\/span>, rule or procedure pertaining to any such civil action<\/span>, nor shall this section bar any claim which otherwise exists.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPERSONAL WATERCRAFT INSTRUCTION; RENTAL AGENTS (\u00a7 29.1-749.3)\n\nAny person who is in the business of renting personal watercraft to the public\nshall provide to any person who rents a personal watercraft instruction on the\nlaws of the Commonwealth governing motorboat operation, specific operating\nrequirements of the personal watercraft being rented, motorboat safety equipment\nrequirements, requirements in the case of a reportable accident, and such other\ninformation as the Director may require. The content and methods of instruction\nshall be approved by the Director.\n\nAny attorney for the county, city or town in which an alleged violation of this\nsection occurred may enforce this section by a civil action to recover a civil\npenalty not to exceed $250. The civil penalty shall be paid into the local\ntreasury. No filing fee or other fee or cost shall be charged to the county,\ncity or town which instituted the action.\n\nThe fact of a violation of this section shall not constitute negligence per se,\nbe considered in mitigation of damages of whatever nature, be admissible in\nevidence or be the subject of comment by counsel in any action for the recovery\nof damages arising out of the operation, ownership or maintenance of a personal\nwatercraft. This section shall not change any existing law, rule or procedure\npertaining to any such civil action, nor shall this section bar any claim which\notherwise exists.\n\nHISTORY: 1998, c. 512.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}