{"data":{"id":"us-sd/sdcl-42-8-102","jurisdiction":"us-sd","citation":"SDCL § 42-8-102","heading":"Personal watercraft--Rules of operation--Age requirement--Violation as misdemeanor.","body":"No person may operate a personal watercraft:\n(1) Unless each person aboard is wearing a wearable personal flotation device approved by the United States Coast Guard;\n(2) That is equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard type engine cutoff without attaching such lanyard to the person, clothing, or personal flotation device as appropriate for the specific watercraft;\n(3) Between sunset and sunrise unless the personal watercraft is equipped with navigation lights as required by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks by rules promulgated pursuant to chapter 1-26;\n(4) At greater than a slow-no-wake speed within one hundred fifty feet of any dock, swimmer, swimming raft, or nonmotorized boat. Slow-no-wake is the slowest possible speed necessary to maintain steerage, but in no case greater than five miles per hour;\n(5) In other than a reasonable and prudent manner; and\n(6) To chase or harass wildlife, or travel through emergent floating vegetation at greater than slow-no-wake speed.\nExcept in the case of an emergency, no person under the age of fourteen may operate or be permitted to operate a personal watercraft, regardless of horsepower, unless there is a person eighteen years of age or older on board the craft. No owner of a personal watercraft may permit the personal watercraft to be operated by such underage person. The provisions of this section do not apply to a performer engaged in a professional exhibition or a person preparing to participate or participating in an officially-sanctioned regatta, race, marine parade, tournament, or exhibition. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.","path":["TITLE 42. RECREATION AND SPORTS","CHAPTER 42-8. WATERCRAFT"],"source_url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/42-8-102","current_through":"2026-08-31","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-03T15:18:57Z","sha256":"6e69914343516cbcff2b4e694cfab01506229db2c0d95e0c9d4b05b1d3d263db","source_id":"us-sd","stale":true,"prev":"us-sd/sdcl-42-8-76","next":"us-sd/sdcl-42-8-103"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}