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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>357171</law_id><section_number>29.1-746</section_number><catch_line>Penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="72" identifier="29.1">Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="12" identifier="7">Boating Laws</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="4" identifier="3">Boating Safety</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Unless specified otherwise, any person who violates any provision of this chapter or any <span class="dictionary">regulation</span> adopted under this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 4 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> for each such violation. <a id="paragraph-1329258" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-746/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Upon the <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of any person for the violation of any provision of this chapter or any <span class="dictionary">regulation</span> adopted thereunder for which the criminal <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> is a Class 3 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> or greater, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> the person to complete and pass a boating safety course approved by the National Association of State Boating <span class="dictionary">Law</span> Administrators and accepted by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>. A list of such courses shall be made available by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>. Any person who has been ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to complete and pass a boating safety course shall submit to the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, in a form approved by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, proof of completion and passage of the course within six months of the time of his <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>. If the person who has been required to complete and pass a boating safety course is under 18 years of age, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may require the person to obtain parental consent to enroll in the course. If the person does not complete and pass the boating safety course within the prescribed time period, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, for good cause, extend the period for completion; however, absent good cause, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall impose a fine not to exceed $250. <a id="paragraph-1329259" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/29.1-746/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1960, c. 500, &#xA7; 62-174.18; 1962, c. 626; 1964, c. 654; 1968, c. 659, &#xA7; 62.1-185; 1984, c. 417; 1987, c. 488; 2006, c. 23.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
