(a) Every watercraft operated on waters in this Municipality shall be numbered and registered by the State in accordance with this chapter or Ohio R.C. Chapter 1547. Watercraft exempted from this requirement are:
(1) Those currently documented by the United States Coast Guard or its successor;
(2) Those used exclusively for commercial purposes and having a valid number assigned to them under Federal law. If the number is displayed in accordance with the requirements of that system and the certificate of number is available for inspection whenever the watercraft is on the waters in this Municipality;
(3) Those that have not been used within this State for more than sixty consecutive days and have a valid number assigned under a Federally approved numbering system of another state, if the number is displayed in accordance with the requirements of that system and the certificate of number is available for inspection whenever the watercraft is on waters in this State;
(4) Those from a country other than the United States temporarily using the waters in this State;
(5) Those whose owner is the United States, a state or a political subdivision of a state;
(6) A ship's lifeboat;
(7) Those that have been exempted from numbering by the Chief of the Division of Watercraft after the Chief has found that the numbering of the watercraft will not materially aid in their identification; and, if an agency of the United States has a numbering system applicable to the watercraft, after the Chief has further found that they also would be exempt from numbering if they were subject to the Federal law;
(8) Those temporarily using the waters in this State under a waiver issued by the Chief to an organization sponsoring a race, regatta or special event, which waiver may be issued by the Chief upon application by the sponsoring organization at least fifteen days before the date of the proposed race, regatta or special event, and shall be effective for ten days including the day or days of the proposed race, regatta or special event such waiver does not obviate compliance with Ohio R.C. 1547.20.
(b) Except for those watercraft enumerated in subsections (a)(2) to (8) hereof, no person shall operate or give permission for the operation of any watercraft on the waters in this Municipality unless both of the following requirements are met:
(1) The registration certificate issued for the watercraft is valid and in effect;
(2) The watercraft is numbered in accordance with Federal law or a Federally approved numbering system of another state or, if numbered by this State, the number is displayed on the watercraft as provided in Ohio R.C. 1547.57. (ORC 1547.53)
(c) No owner of any watercraft requiring registration under this chapter shall fail to obtain such registration pursuant to Ohio R.C. 1547.54. (ORC 1547.54)