Section 2251. Registration

1.  No  person  shall  operate  or  permit  the
  operation of a vessel on the navigable waters of the state,  or  on  any
  other waters within the boundaries of the state, except waters which are
  privately owned, unless such vessel is registered and numbered and bears
  a  current  validation sticker in accordance with the provisions of this
  article.
    2. Issuance and period of validity. The commissioner is authorized  to
  register  a vessel, issue a registration certificate, validation sticker
  or stickers and assign a registration  number  to  such  vessel.  Unless
  otherwise prescribed by the commissioner, any such registration shall be
  valid for a period of three years unless, prior to such expiration date,
  it  is  surrendered,  cancelled,  revoked  or  suspended pursuant to the
  provisions of this article, or the  vessel  is  transferred  to  another
  owner.
    3.  Fees.  The  triennial  fee  for registration of a vessel shall be:
  twenty-two dollars and fifty cents  and  a  vessel  surcharge  of  three
  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents,  if less than sixteen feet in length;
  forty-five dollars and a vessel surcharge of twelve  dollars  and  fifty
  cents,  if sixteen feet or over but less than twenty-six feet in length;
  seventy-five dollars and a vessel  surcharge  of  eighteen  dollars  and
  seventy-five  cents,  if twenty-six feet or over. All funds derived from
  the  collection  of  the  vessel  access  surcharge  pursuant  to   this
  subdivision  are  to  be  deposited  in  a  subaccount of the "I love NY
  waterways"  vessel  access  account  established  pursuant  to   section
  ninety-seven-nn  of  the  state finance law. The vessel access surcharge
  shall not be considered a  registration  fee  for  purposes  of  section
  seventy-nine-b of the navigation law.
  Notwithstanding   any   inconsistent  provision  of  this  section,  the
  difference collected between the fees set forth in this  subdivision  in
  effect  on and after September first, two thousand nine and the fees set
  forth in this subdivision prior to such date shall be deposited  to  the
  credit  of  the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund. Notwithstanding
  any inconsistent provision of this  section,  the  difference  collected
  between  the vessel surcharge set forth in this subdivision in effect on
  and after September first, two thousand nine and  the  vessel  surcharge
  set  forth  in  this  subdivision  in effect prior to such date shall be
  deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund.
    4. Application. The owner of each vessel requiring registration  under
  this  section  shall  present  an  application  for  registration to the
  commissioner, or an agent designated by the commissioner, on a blank  to
  be  prepared  and  furnished  by the commissioner for that purpose. Such
  application shall contain or be accompanied  by  such  evidence  of  the
  ownership  of the vessel described in the application as may be required
  by the commissioner.
    5. Renewal. Every owner of a vessel shall renew  his  registration  at
  such  times  and  in such manner as the commissioner shall prescribe, on
  payment of the same registration fees as  are  provided  in  subdivision
  three  of this section except that, in implementing the purposes of this
  act, the commissioner may schedule the commencement dates, duration  and
  expiration dates of such renewals to provide for a cycle of registration
  renewals  through  the course of a fiscal year. For registrations issued
  for less than the three year registration period, a portion of  a  month
  shall  be considered a month and the registration fee shall be levied on
  a prorated basis.
    6. Change of address. The owner of any vessel registered  pursuant  to
  the  provisions of this section shall notify the commissioner in writing
  of any change in his address within ten days after  such  change  occurs

  and  the  new  address  of  such  owner  shall  be  noted  by him on the
  certificate of registration for such vessel.
    7.  Change  of  ownership.  Upon  the  change in ownership of a vessel
  registered pursuant  to  this  section,  unless  otherwise  provided  by
  regulation of the commissioner, the certificate of registration shall be
  signed  and  dated  by the owner and surrendered to the new owner and at
  the same time the commissioner shall be notified by the former owner, in
  a manner prescribed by the commissioner, of the name and address of  the
  purchaser, the date of transfer and the identification number.
    8. Destruction, theft, loss or abandonment of vessel. The owner of any
  vessel  registered  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of this section shall
  notify the commissioner in writing of the destruction,  theft,  loss  or
  abandonment  of  such  vessel within fifteen days thereafter, and in the
  event of the loss,  destruction  or  abandonment  of  such  vessel,  the
  certificate of registration shall be surrendered with such notice.
    9.  Duplicate  certificates of registration or validating stickers. In
  the event of loss, mutilation  or  destruction  of  any  certificate  of
  registration  or  validation sticker, the owner of the registered vessel
  may file with the department such statement and proof of  the  facts  as
  the  commissioner  shall  require  with  a  fee of two dollars, with the
  department, for the issuance of a duplicate or substitute.