Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

625 ILCS 45/1-2

(625 ILCS 45/1-2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 311-2)

Sec. 1-2. Definitions.

As used in this Act, unless the context clearly
requires a different meaning:

"Airboat" means a vessel that is typically flat-bottomed and propelled by an aircraft-type propeller powered by an engine.

"Competent" means capable of assisting a water skier in case of injury or accident.

"Dealer" means any person who engages in the business of manufacturing, selling, or dealing in, on consignment or otherwise, any number of new watercraft or 5 or more used watercraft of any make during the year, including any off-highway vehicle dealer or snowmobile dealer or a person licensed as a new or used vehicle dealer who also sells or deals in, on consignment or otherwise, any number of watercraft as defined in this Act.

    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
    "Inland Rules" means the Inland Navigation Rules Act of 1980.

"International regulations" means the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, including annexes currently in force for the United States.

    "Leeward side" means the side of a vessel's sail that is facing away or sheltered from the wind.
    "Lifeboat" means a small boat kept on board a larger boat for use in an emergency.
    "Motorboat" or "power-driven vessel" means any vessel propelled by machinery.

"Nonpowered watercraft" or "human-powered watercraft" means any canoe, kayak, kiteboard, paddleboard, ribbed inflatable, or any other watercraft propelled by oars, paddles, or poles but not powered by sail, canvas, human body part, or machinery of any sort.

    "Operate" means to use, navigate, employ, or otherwise be in actual physical control of a motorboat or vessel.
    "Operator" means a person who operates or is in actual physical control of a watercraft.

"Owner" means a person, other than a secured party, having property rights or title to a watercraft. "Owner" includes a person entitled to the use or possession of a motorboat subject to an interest in another person, reserved or created by agreement and securing payment of performance of an obligation. "Owner" does not include a lessee under a lease not intended as security.

"Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, or association, and any agent, assignee, trustee, executor, receiver, or representative thereof.

"Personal flotation device" or "PFD" means a device that is approved by the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, under Part 160 of Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

"Personal watercraft" means a vessel propelled by a water jet pump or other machinery as its primary source of motive power and designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel, rather than within the confines of a hull.

"Principally operated" means the vessel is or will be primarily operated within the jurisdiction of the State during a calendar year.

"Recreational boat" means any vessel manufactured or used primarily for noncommercial use, or leased, rented, or chartered to another for noncommercial use.

"Sailboat" or "sailing vessel" means any vessel under sail so long as the propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used.

"Seaplane" means any aircraft designed to maneuver on the water.

"Specialty prop-craft" means a vessel that is similar in appearance and operation to a personal watercraft but that is powered by an outboard or propeller driven motor.

    "Throwable PFD" has the meaning provided in 33 CFR 175.13.
    "Underway" applies to a vessel or watercraft at all times except when it is moored at a dock or anchorage area.
    "Use" applies to all vessels on the waters of this State, whether moored or underway.

"Vessel" or "watercraft" means every watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, except a seaplane on the water, air mattress or similar device, and boats used for concession rides in artificial bodies of water designed and used exclusively for such concessions.

"Waters of this State" means any water within the jurisdiction of this State.

"Wearable U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device", "wearable U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD", and "wearable PFD" have the meaning provided for "wearable PFD" in 33 CFR 175.13.

"Windward side" means the side of a vessel's sail that has the wind blowing into the sail.

"Wing in Ground" (WIG) vessel means a multimodal vessel which, in its main operational mode, flies in close proximity to the surface utilizing surface-effect action.

(Source: P.A. 102-595, eff. 6-1-22.)