COLUMBUS, OH -- Boaters soon will find it easier to obtain titles for their watercraft, thanks to a bill recently signed by Governor Bob Taft.
Substitute Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Senator Ron Amstutz, (R-Wooster), will enable boat dealers and owners to title watercraft in any Ohio county beginning next spring. Currently boaters must register their boats in their county of residence, an inconvenience for those who purchase boats outside their home counties. The bill goes into effect on April 30, 2002.
"With more than 416,000 registered watercraft in the state, many Ohioans will find this new flexibility in titling their boats beneficial," said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. "This will also be an asset to Ohio's recreational watercraft industry, which generates nearly $1.4 billion for the state's economy while providing 19,500 Ohioans with jobs."
Also recently signed by Governor Taft was Senate Bill 80, sponsored by Senator Bill Harris (R-Ashland). The bill removes Ohio inland lakes from a prohibition against operating a vessel at greater than idle speed or at a speed that creates a wake within 300 feet of certain dock and harbor areas. The current 300-foot prohibition will remain effective only for Lake Erie and the Ohio River after the new law takes effect on October 26, 2001.
Inland lake managers will now be able to establish their own no-wake areas with the approval of the chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
For additional boating information, visit the ODNR web site at www.dnr.state.oh.us
For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Watercraft
(614) 265-6695
-or-
Andy Ware, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882