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Rental Watercraft Inspections
The State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Boat and Water Safety Rules require that all watercraft offered for rent, lease or hire must be inspected annually by the sheriff before they can be rented.
| Download Form | Download Continuation Form |
The Sheriff's Water Patrol starts rental boat inspections in April. These inspections will include the following areas:
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Lights: All motorized watercraft must display the correct lights for their class from sunset to sunrise when underway and at anchor. Red and green running lights must be visible at a distance of one mile and white lights at a distance of two miles. Faded lenses or lights that are not bright enough to be seen at the distances listed must be replaced or repaired.
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Life Jackets: There must be an adequate number of U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable personal flotation devices in usable condition to cover different size rental customers. On watercraft 16 feet and longer, there must also be at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved Type IV throwable device onboard.
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Fire Extinguishers: All watercraft with enclosed fuel tanks/containers must have a Coast Guard approved, fully charged and accessible fire extinguisher. Depending on the size of the watercraft, more than one may be required.
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Oars / Paddles / Pole: All watercraft must have a pair of oars and oarlocks, a paddle or a pole in serviceable condition.
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Registration: All watercraft must be licensed through the Department of Natural Resources. The Watercraft must display the State sticker and numbers on both side of the forward portion of the craft. Registration cards must either be kept on the watercraft or the owner's business name must be legibly printed on the rear half on both sides of the craft in the same size and manner as registration numbers.
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Watercraft Condition: No watercraft can be rented or offered for rent which is broken, rotten or otherwise hazardous.
Each operator/rental location must fill out an inspection report and submit it to Water Patrol before scheduling an inspection. Fill in the registration numbers, type, length and make of watercraft, maximum occupancy and the number of life jackets onboard each watercraft. All expired stickers must be removed prior to inspection.
Once we receive the completed form, a deputy will contact you to schedule a date for the inspection.
Click here to download the form or you can fill it out on line, print it and fax it to the Water Patrol at 952-471-1311.
If you have more than seven rental watercraft, download the continuation and follow the same procedure.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to use the
forms. Click
here to download the free reader if you do not have Acrobat installed on your computer.