Your average Granite State boater may not be concerned with (or aware of) Florida boat insurance requirements — unless they’re of the snowbird variety. However, as with so many issues in the U.S., what happens in one state in terms of legislation can absolutely end up influencing what happens elsewhere in the country. It’s always worth paying attention to significant developments beyond our boundaries.
Here at North Water Marine, we’ve been keeping tabs on some interesting new laws out of the Sunshine State concerning boat rentals and insurance requirements, and we thought we’d share a brief summary here alongside some thoughts on the hypothetical ramifications for New Hampshire.
The Florida Boating Safety Act of 2022: Controversy & Revisions For Florida Boat Insurance Requirements
In 2022, the Florida legislature passed the Florida Boating Safety Act, which required boat liveries (companies that rent out watercraft) to insure renters. Going into effect on the first of January 2023, the new law mandated that boat liveries provide coverage for renters shaking out to $500,000 per person and $1 million per event in order to qualify for the permits necessary to operate in the state.
The act was motivated by safety concerns, with the new rules aimed at addressing the large number of boating accidents in Florida — a not-insignificant percentage of them involving renters — and, as Insurance Business described it, “trim[ming] down rogue operators.”
Nonetheless, the requirement that liveries extend insurance coverage to apply to renters caused quite an uproar, given the major increase in costs it meant for the businesses and the scramble required to comply by the first-of-the-year deadline. Anticipating the logistical and financial upheaval, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission (FWC) announced a six-month focus on education, rather than enforcement, following the rules going into effect.
On June 12th of last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law (SB 418) that updated the Florida Boating Safety Act of 2022 and revised those insurance rules. Now, boat liveries are no longer required to actually purchase boat liability insurance for renters, but rather must offer them the option of buying insurance (amounting to the same minimum $500,000-per-person, $1-million-per-event coverage). Renters don’t have to buy insurance, but if they don’t, they’re required to sign a statement acknowledging that they were offered it and proving they hold a valid Florida boating safety identification card.
Possible Effects of This Kind of Boating-Related Legislation in New Hampshire
There’s no indication that anything along these lines is in the offing for New Hampshire, but it’s certainly a possibility. After all, concerns about boating safety, unscrupulous boat-rental companies, and irresponsible boat renters are by no means restricted to Florida. If instituted, what might such New Hampshire boat insurance rules mean for liveries and renters in the state?
We’d imagine most boat liveries here would respond similarly as their counterparts down in the land of palm trees and alligators to a rule such as originally laid down in the Florida Boating Safety Act of 2022. The revision of SB 418 would be a more acceptable version to these businesses, even with the potential trickiness of new insurance relationships and logistics.
For renters, a rule such as SB 418 requiring liveries to offer the option of buying insurance could be beneficial in so far as they might not have to go hunt around for third-party insurance; they could count on the option of coverage being provided right when and where they’re renting the boat. Of course, having that option available through the livery wouldn’t prevent them from going and finding their own insurance elsewhere.
Potential downsides for the boat renter might include — and this is highly situational — feeling pressured to work with a specific insurance provider or to purchase levels of insurance that may not be necessary.
North Water Marine: Your Go-To Choice for Boat Renters on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee
We hope you’ve learned a little something by getting a bit into the weeds of boat insurance requirements for liveries and renters, even if the kind of Florida boat liability insurance rules lately debated down there are not, at this point, relevant here in New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, here at North Water Marine, we continue to happily provide the finest boat rentals and charters on Lake Winnipesaukee (as well as across-the-board boat storage and upkeep services) and surrounding waterways.
Whether it’s taking out a Coach Pontoon Boat for a full day or multiple days of fun and adventure, or chartering a sunset cruise with Captain Tim, get in touch with the North Water Marine team today!