If you run a Florida boat rental business, we want to make sure you’re aware of the Florida Boating Safety Act of 2022 (SB 606).  

This law requires you to obtain a no-cost permit through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in an effort to improve safe rental and use of maritime vessels. 

If your Florida boat business offers vessels for rent, this guide covers everything you need to know in order to be compliant with SB 606, and how FareHarbor can help you ahead of your busy season.

What is SB 606?

SB 606 is the Florida Boating Safety Act, enacted with the intention of increasing safety measures on Florida’s waterways. It was first proposed in November, 2021, and went into effect on January 1, 2023. 

Under Florida law, a “livery” means a person and/or company who advertises and offers a vessel(s) for rent without also providing the renter with a captain, a crew, or any type of staff or personnel to operate, oversee, maintain, or manage the vessel. In simpler terms, a livery is a person/company that rents out unmanned boats.

Florida Boat Operator Requirements & Solutions

FareHarbor is committed to providing guidance, education, and best practices around SB 606 to support our impacted clients and facilitate the increase in safety and protection. Below we have outlined the five requirements of SB 606 as well as suggested solutions. 

To read more about the history of SB 606, visit the Florida Senate website.

1. Obtain a no-cost permit through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and renew it annually

Gather the necessary documents and send them to FWC to obtain a livery permit:

• List of your vessels available for rent. If vessel numbers change, you must inform FWC within 10 days of the change. You can notify FWC by phone, at 850-488-5600, or email, at [email protected].
• Proof of insurance coverage in accordance with FS 327.54 
  • All mechanically propelled vessels must have insurance coverage that insures the livery against any accident, loss, injury, property damage, or other casualties. The insurance policy must provide coverage of at least $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per event.
• Local business license or tax receipt if applicable
• Business creation records (such as Articles of Incorporation, State records, Sunbiz.org, etc.) if the permit is issued to a business
• A copy of a government-issued photo identification card if the permit is issued to an individual
• A completed Livery Permit Certification Form
  •  The Livery Permit Certification Form as well as a Florida Livery Permit Checklist are available online.
• Still need to apply for your permit? We have a partnership with Buoy. Anyone can make use of their free application process here to digitally apply for your FWC permit online.

2. Display pre-rental safety and operational instruction to renters in a visible and public location at your business address

• The sign must correlate to the type of vessels the livery rents and must be no smaller than 187 square inches. 
  • A printable file of the signs can be accessed at: Motorboat Rental Safety Poster, Houseboat Rental Safety Poster, and PWC Rental Safety Poster or you may request pre-printed signs from FWC Boating & Waterways Section by calling 850-488-5600 or use the AskFWC feature on the FWC website: Service Request – Create Request Page: Ask FWC (govqa.us).

3. Deliver pre-rental safety and operation instructions and note your customers’ completion via a signed form

FareHarbor provides waiver solutions that can meet all of these requirements for you!

• This signed document must be accessible for up to 90 days.
• This document must contain the name, address, and date of birth for the renter and the number of people aboard the vessel, as well as the time the vessel is required to be returned to the livery or another specified location and an emergency contact name, address, and telephone number.
• This Livery Pre-Rental and Pre-Ride Instruction (requires initials in each block) Checklist and Attestation document must be completed by both parties as part of the waiver process. 
• Anyone providing the pre-rental instruction must have a completed FL boating safety education course approved by NASBLA. Any employee of a company that is contracted with FWC in the Temporary Certificate Program must also have completed the FWC Online Livery Operator’s Course.
• FareHarbor waiver solutions:
  1. Smartwaiver
  2. Wherewolf

4. Secure an insurance policy that meets the specifications set under SB 606

• The livery must hold an insurance policy that covers both them and their renters for up to $1million per event. 
• The livery shall provide to each renter the insurance carrier’s name and address and the insurance policy number.
• FareHarbor can provide insurance partnership opportunities through Buoy Insurance to easily offer your customers insurance coverage to be purchases. Learn more and sign up with Buoy Insurance here. 

5. You must report vessels that are 4 or more hours late for return as well as any accidents

FareHarbor can educate customers and provide Dashboard solutions for tracking and up-charges for late vessels. 

FareHarbor can help you make this clear to your customers during the booking process as well as create priced custom fields that can be charged backend for late returns to discourage this action from renters.

Next Steps with Your FareHarbor Dashboard

There are multiple solutions within your FareHarbor Dashboard to ensure you are complying with the SB 606 requirements.

Waiver Solutions

FareHarbor’s waiver partners provide robust and comprehensive features that align with the needs of the delivery and completion of pre-rental safety and operation of pre-rental safety and operation instructions.

Smartwaiver

• Pre-populated watermark and signature as part of the Livery Pre-Rental and Pre-Ride Instruction which means there is no countersignature required as your signature is already included on the waiver when sent to the customer via the watermark.
• The Livery Pre-Rental and Pre-Ride Instruction can be pre-populated into a waiver template to ensure that it is covered when the waiver is signed.
• Smartwaiver works with Buoy Insurance to add additional renter coverage to your customers.

Wherewolf

• Allows operators to countersign all fields of the waiver as part of the Livery Pre-Rental and Pre-Ride Instruction with a one-click countersignature, so you don’t have to manually sign/initial numerous fields! 
• The Livery Pre-Rental and Pre-Ride Instruction can be pre-populated into a waiver template to ensure that it is covered when the waiver is signed.
• Review the instructions on adding staff/operator signatures to the waiver process.
• Wherewolf works with Buoy Insurance to add additional renter coverage to your customers.

Dashboard Features

Operators can utilize various features within the Dashboard to ensure compliance with reporting late vessels.

1. Custom Fields

• Priced back-end custom fields to charge customers late fees
• Visible custom fields to inform customers of the rental return requirements

2. Dynamic Check-in Statuses

• Operators can customize check-in statuses to easily flag bookings that are late.
• Run reports based on check-in date and status.

3. Manifest View

• Adjust manifest settings to show which customers have signed their waiver before check-in.
• Add columns “Waiver” and “Waiver Breakdown” in the Manifest view.

FareHarbor can help operators provide insurance information in a visible and accessible platform for the viewing convenience of potential and booked customers.

• Custom Fields can be utilized in the pre-booking form for customers to view.
  • Utilize a checkbox or dropdown for customers to select to view insurance information and requirements.
• Insurance information can be populated directly into waivers.
• If you are partnering with Buoy, you are able to follow their check-in process to offer and have your customers purchase insurance coverage at the time of check-in.

At FareHarbor, we are continuing to monitor the development of the Florida Boating Safety Act. We are committed to providing boat operators impacted by this law with relevant up-to-date information for how the FareHarbor Dashboard and resources can be leveraged to best comply with some of the requirements.

We will continue to share additional information as we learn more and continue to have conversations with our relevant partners to best support you and your operations. 

Disclaimers

The information in this document does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead all information and materials available in this document are for informative and convenience purposes only. Should you require any legal advice on the Florida Boating Safety Act, please reach out to a legal advisor.

FareHarbor carefully selected Buoy to provide our clients with best-in-class support. FareHarbor does not provide any guarantees in respect of this partner. In the spirit of full transparency, FareHarbor may receive any form of compensation from the links above.