(625 ILCS 45/Art. IIIC heading)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-1) Sec. 3C-1. Abandonment of watercraft prohibited. (a) The abandonment of a watercraft or any part thereof on any waters in this State is unlawful and subject to penalties as set forth under Section 3C-14. (b) The abandonment of a watercraft or any part thereof on private or public property, other than a waterway, in view of the general public, anywhere in this State is unlawful except on property of the owner or bailee of such abandoned watercraft. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-2) Sec. 3C-2. Notification to law enforcement agencies. When an abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed watercraft comes into the temporary possession or custody of a person in this State, not the owner of the watercraft, such person shall immediately notify the municipal police when the watercraft is within the corporate limits of any city, village or town having a duly authorized police department, or the State Police, Conservation Police or the county sheriff when the watercraft is outside the corporate limits of a city, village or town. Upon receipt of such notification, the municipal police, State Police, Conservation Police, or county sheriff will authorize a towing service to remove and take possession of the abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed watercraft. The towing service will safely keep the towed watercraft and its contents, and maintain a record of the tow as set forth in Section 3C-4 for law enforcement agencies, until the watercraft is claimed by the owner or any other person legally entitled to possession thereof or until it is disposed of as provided in this Article. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-3) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-3) Sec. 3C-3. Removal of watercraft. (a) When a watercraft is abandoned on any waters of this State for 24 hours or more, its removal by a towing service may be authorized by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. (b) When an abandoned, unattended, wrecked, burned or partially dismantled watercraft is creating a traffic or navigational hazard because of its position in relation to the waterway or because its physical appearance is impeding traffic or navigation, its immediate removal from the waterway by a towing service may be authorized by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. (c) When a watercraft removal from either public or private property is authorized by a law enforcement agency, the owner of the watercraft will be responsible for all towing costs. Watercraft removed from public or private property and stored by a commercial relocator or any other towing service shall be subject to a possessory lien for services pursuant to "An Act concerning liens for labor, services, skills or materials furnished upon or storage furnished for chattels", filed July 24, 1941, as amended, and the provisions of Section 1 of that Act relating to notice and implied consent shall be deemed satisfied. In no event shall such lien be greater than the rates established by that Act. In no event shall such lien be increased or altered to reflect any charge for services or materials rendered in addition to those authorized by this Article. Every such lien shall be payable in cash. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-4) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-4) Sec. 3C-4. Reports on towed watercraft. When a watercraft is authorized to be towed away as provided in Section 3C-2, the police headquarters or office of the law enforcement officer authorizing the towing shall keep and maintain a record of the watercraft towed, listing the color, manufacturer's trade name, manufacturer's series name, hull type, hull material, hull identification number, and registration number displayed on the watercraft. The record shall also include the date and hour of tow, location towed from, location towed to, and reason for towing and the name of the officer authorizing the tow. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-5) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-5) Sec. 3C-5. Record searches. When a law enforcement agency authorizing the impounding of a watercraft does not know the identity of the registered owner, lienholder or other legally entitled person, that law enforcement agency will cause the watercraft registration records of the State of Illinois to be searched by the Department of Natural Resources for the purpose of obtaining the required ownership information. The law enforcement agency authorizing the impounding of a watercraft will cause the stolen watercraft files of the State Police to be searched by a directed communication to the State Police for stolen or wanted information on the watercraft. When the State Police files are searched with negative results, the information contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) files will be searched by the State Police. The information determined from these record searches will be returned to the requesting law enforcement agency for that agency's use in sending a notification by certified mail to the registered owner, lienholder and other legally entitled persons advising where the watercraft is held, requesting that a disposition be made and setting forth public sale information. Notification shall be sent no later than 10 days after the date the law enforcement agency impounds or authorizes the impounding of a watercraft, provided that if the law enforcement agency is unable to determine the identity of the registered owner, lienholder or other person legally entitled to ownership of the impounded watercraft within a 10 day period after impoundment, then notification shall be sent no later than 2 days after the date the identity of the registered owner, lienholder or other person legally entitled to ownership of the impounded watercraft is determined. Exceptions to a notification by certified mail to the registered owner, lienholder and other legally entitled persons are set forth in Section 3C-9. (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-6) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-6) Sec. 3C-6. Identifying and tracing of watercraft ownership by the Department of Natural Resources. When the registered owner, lienholder or other person legally entitled to the possession of a watercraft cannot be identified from the registration files of this State or from the registration files of a foreign state, if applicable, the law enforcement agency having custody of the watercraft shall notify the Department of Natural Resources, for the purpose of identifying the watercraft owner or other person legally entitled to the possession of the watercraft. The information obtained by the Department of Natural Resources will be immediately forwarded to the law enforcement agency having custody of the watercraft for notification purposes as set forth in Section 3C-5. (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-7) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-7) Sec. 3C-7. Reclaimed watercraft. Any time before a watercraft is sold at public sale or disposed of as provided in Section 3C-8, the owner, lienholder or other person legally entitled to its possession may reclaim the watercraft by presenting to the law enforcement agency having custody of the watercraft proof of ownership or proof of the right to possession of the watercraft. No watercraft shall be released to the owner, lienholder or other person under this Section until all towing and storage charges have been paid. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-8) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-8) Sec. 3C-8. Disposal of unclaimed watercraft. (a) In cities having a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants, whenever an abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed watercraft or other watercraft remains unclaimed by the registered owner, lienholder or other legally entitled person for a period of 15 days after notice has been given as provided in Sections 3C-5 and 3C-6, the watercraft may be disposed of as provided in the "Municipal purchasing act for cities of 500,000 or more population". (b) Except as provided in subsection (a), when an abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed watercraft 7 years of age or newer remains unclaimed by the registered owner, lienholder or other person legally entitled to its possession for a period of 30 days after notice has been given as provided in Sections 3C-5 and 3C-6, the law enforcement agency or towing service having possession of the watercraft shall cause it to be sold at public sale to the highest bidder. Notice of the time and place of the sale shall be posted in a conspicuous place for at least 10 days prior to the sale, on the premises where the watercraft has been impounded. At least 10 days prior to the sale, the law enforcement agency where the watercraft is impounded, or the towing service where the watercraft is impounded, shall cause a notice of the time and place of the sale to be sent by certified mail to the registered owner, lienholder and other persons known by the law enforcement agency or towing service to be legally entitled to the possession of the watercraft. Such notice shall contain a complete description of the watercraft to be sold and what steps must be taken by any legally entitled person to reclaim the watercraft. In those instances where the certified notification specified in Sections 3C-5 and 3C-6 has been returned by the postal authorities to the law enforcement agency or towing service due to the addressee having moved, or being unknown at the address obtained from the registration records of this State, the sending of a second certified notice will not be required. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-9) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-9) Sec. 3C-9. Disposal of unclaimed watercraft without notice. (a) When the identity of the registered owner, lienholder and other person legally entitled to the possession of an abandoned, lost or unclaimed watercraft of 7 years of age or newer cannot be determined by any means provided for in this Article, the watercraft may be sold as provided in Section 3C-8 without notice to any person whose identity cannot be determined. (b) When an abandoned watercraft of more than 7 years of age is impounded as specified by this Article, it will be kept in custody for a minimum of 10 days for the purpose of determining the identity of the registered owner and lienholder, contacting the registered owner and lienholder for a determination of disposition, and an examination of the State Police stolen watercraft files for the theft and wanted information. At the expiration of the 10 day period, if disposition information has not been received from the registered owner or the lienholder, the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction will authorize the disposal of the watercraft as junk. However if, in the opinion of the police officer processing the watercraft, it has a value of $200 or more and can be restored to safe operating condition, the law enforcement agency may authorize its purchase for salvage and the Department of Natural Resources may issue a certificate of title. A watercraft classified as a historical watercraft may be sold to a person desiring to restore it. (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-10) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-10) Sec. 3C-10. Police reports. When a watercraft in the custody of a law enforcement agency is reclaimed by the registered owner, lienholder or other legally entitled person, or when the watercraft is sold at public sale or otherwise disposed of as provided in this Article, a report of the transaction will be maintained by the law enforcement agency for a period of one year from the date of the sale or disposal. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-11) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-11) Sec. 3C-11. Disposition of proceeds. (a) When a watercraft located within the corporate limits of a city, village or town is towed away by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction and disposed of as set forth in this Article, the proceeds of the public sale or disposition, after the deduction of towing, storage and processing charges, shall be deposited in the treasury of such city, village or town. (b) When a watercraft located outside the corporate limits of any city, village or town is towed away by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction and disposed of as set forth in this Article, the proceeds of the public sale or disposition, after deducting towing, storage and processing costs, shall be deposited in the county treasury of the county where the watercraft was located at the time of the tow. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-12) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-12) Sec. 3C-12. Titling watercraft. When an applicant for a certificate of title presents to the Department of Natural Resources proof that he has purchased or acquired a watercraft at a public sale as authorized by this Article and such fact is certified by the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the public sale of the watercraft, the Department shall issue a certificate of title for the watercraft upon receipt of the statutory fee and a properly executed application for a certificate of title. The title issued by the Department under this Section shall be free of any lien that existed against the watercraft prior to the time the watercraft was acquired by the applicant under this Article. (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-13) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-13) Sec. 3C-13. Liability. A law enforcement officer or agency, towing service owner, operator or employee shall not be held liable for damages in any action brought by the registered owner, former registered owner or his legal representative, lienholder or any other person legally entitled to the possession of a watercraft when the watercraft was processed and sold or disposed of as provided by this Article. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)

(625 ILCS 45/3C-14) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 313C-14) Sec. 3C-14. Violations. Any person who violates or aids and abets in the violation of Section 3C-1 of this Act is guilty of a petty offense, and may be required by the court to make a disposition on the abandoned or unclaimed watercraft. (Source: P.A. 84-646.)