California · Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC
HNC §658.5: (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), no person under 16 years of age shall operate a vessel powered by a motor of greater than 15 horsepower, except for a vessel that does not exceed 30 feet in
What this law says, in plain English
Persons under 16 cannot operate high-powered boats without supervision or specific exceptions. Violation is an infraction.
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