(a) Except as provided in this section or Parks and Wildlife Code, §31.022, no person may operate or give permission to operate any vessel on the water of this state unless the vessel is documented through the United States Coast Guard or displays the state-assigned TX numbers as prescribed in this section.
(b) No person required to register a vessel may dock, moor, or store the vessel on the water of this state unless the vessel is in compliance with the provisions of this section and the provisions of Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 31 that apply to required numbering.
(c) The registration decal for a documented vessel shall be placed on the forward half of each side of the vessel. On a vessel configured so that a number on the hull or superstructure is not easily visible, the number must be painted on or attached to a backing plate that is attached to the forward half of the vessel so that the number is visible from each side of the vessel.
(d) The following are exempt from registration requirements:
  (1) commercial tugboats;
  (2) vessels exceeding 115 feet in length; and
  (3) pilot or crew boats transporting freight, supplies, or personnel to or from cargo ships, freighters, or offshore oil infrastructure.
(e) For the purposes of this section, vessel length is the length of the vessel listed on the United States Coast Guard national documentation.
(f) Vessels registered as antique boats are permitted to display the registration decal on the left portion of the windshield. In the absence of a windshield, the registration decal must be attached to the certificate of number and made available for inspection when the boat is operated on public water.

Source Note: The provisions of this §53.90 adopted to be effective July 7, 2004, 29 TexReg 6309; amended to be effective May 9, 2013, 38 TexReg 2765; amended to be effective February 16, 2014, 39 TexReg 767