Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 632
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00622-18                                             2018632__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to vessel registration; amending s.
    3         328.80, F.S.; authorizing the Department of Highway
    4         Safety and Motor Vehicles to issue an electronic
    5         certificate of registration for a vessel, to collect
    6         electronic mail addresses, and to use electronic mail
    7         for certain purposes; amending s. 328.48, F.S.;
    8         authorizing a vessel operator to present such
    9         electronic certificate for inspection under certain
   10         circumstances; providing construction; providing an
   11         effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 328.80, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   16  read:
   17         328.80 Transactions by electronic or telephonic means.—
   18         (1) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may
   19  commission is authorized to accept any application provided for
   20  under this chapter by electronic or telephonic means.
   21         (2) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may
   22  issue an electronic certificate of registration in lieu of
   23  printing a paper registration.
   24         (3) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may
   25  collect electronic mail addresses and use electronic mail in
   26  lieu of the United States Postal Service for the purpose of
   27  providing renewal notices.
   28         Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 328.48, Florida
   29  Statutes, is amended to read:
   30         328.48 Vessel registration, application, certificate,
   31  number, decal, duplicate certificate.—
   32         (4) Each certificate of registration issued shall state
   33  among other items the numbers awarded to the vessel, the hull
   34  identification number, the name and address of the owner, and a
   35  description of the vessel, except that certificates of
   36  registration for vessels constructed or assembled by the owner
   37  registered for the first time shall state all the foregoing
   38  information except the hull identification number. The numbers
   39  shall be placed on each side of the forward half of the vessel
   40  in such position as to provide clear legibility for
   41  identification, except, if the vessel is an airboat, the numbers
   42  may be placed on each side of the rudder. The numbers awarded to
   43  the vessel shall read from left to right and shall be in block
   44  characters of good proportion not less than 3 inches in height.
   45  The numbers shall be of a solid color which will contrast with
   46  the color of the background and shall be so maintained as to be
   47  clearly visible and legible; i.e., dark numbers on a light
   48  background or light numbers on a dark background. The
   49  certificate of registration shall be pocket-sized and shall be
   50  available for inspection on the vessel for which issued whenever
   51  such vessel is in operation. If the certificate of registration
   52  is not available for inspection on the vessel or is damaged or
   53  otherwise illegible, the operator may present for inspection an
   54  electronic device displaying an electronic certificate issued
   55  pursuant to s. 328.80. Such presentation does not constitute
   56  consent for inspection of any information on the device other
   57  than the displayed certificate.
   58         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.