The Arizona Revised Statutes have been updated to include the revised sections from the 56th Legislature, 1st Regular Session. Please note that the next update of this compilation will not take place until after the conclusion of the 56th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, which convenes in January 2024.
This online version of the Arizona Revised Statutes is primarily maintained for legislative drafting purposes and reflects the version of law that is effective on January 1st of the year following the most recent legislative session. The official version of the Arizona Revised Statutes is published by Thomson Reuters.
5-301. Definitions
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "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. "Commission" means the Arizona game and fish commission.
3. "Department" means the Arizona game and fish department.
4. "Documented watercraft" means any watercraft currently registered as a watercraft of the United States pursuant to 46 Code of Federal Regulations part 67.
5. "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. "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. "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. "Motorized watercraft" means any watercraft that is propelled by machinery whether or not the machinery is the principal source of propulsion.
9. "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. "Operate" means to operate or be in actual physical control of a watercraft while on public waters.
11. "Operator" means a person who operates or is in actual physical control of a watercraft.
12. "Person" includes any individual, firm, corporation, partnership or association, and any agent, assignee, trustee, executor, receiver or representative thereof.
13. "Public waters" means any body of water that is publicly owned or that the public is allowed to use without permission of the owner 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. "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. "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. "Rowing shell" means a manually propelled watercraft that is recognized by a national racing association for use in practice, training or competitive rowing.
17. "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. "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 the mooring, anchoring or docking of watercraft.
19. "State of principal operation" means the state where a watercraft is primarily used, navigated or employed.
20. "Underway" means a watercraft that is not at anchor, is not made fast to the shore or is not aground.
21. "Undocumented watercraft" means any watercraft that does not have and is not required to have a valid marine document as a watercraft of the United States.
22. "Wakeless speed" means a speed that does not cause the watercraft to create a wake, but in no case in excess of five miles per hour.
23. "Watercraft" means any boat designed to be propelled by machinery, oars, paddles or wind action on a sail for navigation on the water, or as may be defined by rule of the commission.
24. "Waterway" means any body of water, public or private, on which a watercraft can be navigated.