1501:47-1-07. Watercraft identification  


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  • (A) The numbers issued pursuant to section 1547.53 of the Revised Code shall be in accordance with the pattern hereafter prescribed.

    (1) All numbers issued by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft shall be divided into three parts. The first part shall consist of symbols identifying the state of Ohio, that is, the letters "OH".

    (2) The second part of the boat number issued by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft shall consist of not more than four Arabic numerals.

    (3) The third part of the boat number issued by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft shall consist of not more than two capital letters in sequence.

    (a) The third part of any boat number issued to a livery as described in section 1547.542 of the Revised Code shall be the capital letters "LL."

    (b) The third part of any boat number issued to a bona fide watercraft dealer or manufacturer operating watercraft in accordance with section 1547.543 of the Revised Code shall be the capital letters "ZZ."

    (4) The letters and numerals issued by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft comprising the boat number shall be separated by hyphens or equivalent spaces in accordance with the serials numerically and alphabetically, i.e., OH-0000-AA or OH 0000 AA.

    (B) Since the letters (I) and (O) and (Q) may be mistaken for Arabic numerals, all terminal letter sequences using capital (I), (O), and (Q) shall be omitted from the use in the numbering system. The number assigned to a watercraft by the issuance of a certificate of number by the chief of the division of parks and watercraft shall be placed on each side of the forward half of the watercraft in such position as to provide clear legibility for identification. The number shall read from left to right and shall be in block characters of good proportion and not less than three inches in height. The numerals and letters comprising the whole number shall be of a color contrasting to the color of the background and so maintained as to be clearly visible and legible; i.e., dark numerals and letters on light background, or light numerals and letters on dark background.

    (C) No other numerals or letters may be displayed upon the forward half of any watercraft registered by this state.


Effective: 1/26/2018
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 11/9/2017 and 01/26/2023
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 1546.04
Rule Amplifies: 1546.02, 1547.543, 1547.542, 1547.53
Prior Effective Dates: 04/25/1974, 08/16/1984, 10/10/1990, 04/17/2007