During the administrative procedures carried out by the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels of the Vitebsk Region in 2025 (a total of 5914 procedures for state registration, registration of changes, and technical inspection of small vessels were carried out) and control measures conducted on the waters of the region (523 raids were conducted), 885 violations of established legal requirements were detected. Of these, 148 violations were related to non-compliance with the deadlines for state registration of small vessels (owners of such vessels applied to the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels for their registration belatedly – more than 30 days after acquisition). The remaining number of offenses (721) relates to non-compliance with safety requirements during the operation of small vessels directly on water bodies. In addition, 16 offenders were brought to administrative responsibility in the form of a fine.
Despite the preventive measures taken, in 2025, there were fatalities in the Vitebsk region related to violations of safety requirements during the operation of small vessels – 2 people drowned for this reason (in Ushachi district on Lake Polozerye and Vitebsk district on the Western Dvina River). The main causes of death were operating a vessel while intoxicated and not using personal life-saving equipment (life jackets).
Overall, over the past 5 years, the statistics on fatalities during the use of small vessels in the Vitebsk region remain quite unfavorable – 38 people have died.
The most unfavorable situation is observed in the Verkhnedvinsk district, where 7 people have died in the last 5 years while using small vessels, as well as in the Ushachi district, where 6 people died, and in the Polotsk and Chashnik districts – 4 deaths each. All deceased were without life jackets.

Compliance with the established safety requirements for the operation of small vessels will ensure the preservation of citizens' lives and health.
IT IS PROHIBITED:
- to operate a small vessel if it has not undergone state registration and classification and (or) technical inspection in the prescribed manner, or is in a technically faulty condition, including if buoyancy blocks are missing or faulty, and if the vessel lacks the necessary set of equipment;
- to operate a small vessel while intoxicated with alcohol and (or) under the influence of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, toxic or other intoxicating substances;
- to violate the load capacity and permissible number of people on board;
- to use an engine on a small vessel that exceeds the maximum permissible power and (or) number, as well as to install an engine on rowing small vessels;
- to operate a small vessel and be on board while it is moving without a life jacket, or with an unfastened life jacket;
- to operate a small vessel with persons on board without fastened life jackets;
- to operate a small vessel with persons on towed devices without fastened life jackets;
- to transport children under 7 years of age on a small vessel without adult supervision. The vessel operator is not considered a supervisor.

The State Inspectorate for Small Vessels of the Vitebsk Region also calls for compliance with the established requirements for state registration and classification of acquired small vessels and to ensure their safe use to the maximum extent.
All small vessels, with the exception of rowing boats, kayaks, and inflatable vessels with a load capacity of less than 225 kilograms, must undergo state registration with the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels.
State registration and classification of small vessels are carried out at the territorial sections of the State Inspectorate for Small Vessels (GIMS) at the place of residence of an individual, including an individual entrepreneur, or at the location of a legal entity (its separate subdivision).
The period for the owner of a small vessel to apply to GIMS for state registration of the vessel is within 30 calendar days from the day following the purchase of the small vessel or its acquisition on any other legal basis.
Changes to the information subject to entry in the vessel register (surname, residential address of the owner, change of vessel type, acquisition of an outboard engine, exclusion from the vessel register, etc.) are also subject to state registration with GIMS.
The period for an interested person to apply to GIMS for state registration of changes is 14 calendar days from the day they became aware of such a change.
State registration and classification of a small vessel may be refused, in particular, if the small vessel or its operating documentation lacks a unified product conformity mark for the market of the Customs Union member states.
Small vessels registered with GIMS must undergo timely technical inspection as a mandatory requirement.
It is prohibited for a vessel operator to operate a small vessel if it has not undergone state registration and classification and/or technical inspection in the prescribed manner, or if it is in a faulty technical condition, or if the vessel lacks the necessary set of equipment.

At the end of 2025, amendments to the current legislation in the field of small vessel operation were approved in the Republic of Belarus.
Thus, on December 16, 2025, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus adopted Resolution No. 731 "On Issues of Small Vessel Operation," which approved new versions of the "Regulations on State Registration and Classification of Small Vessels...", "Regulations on the Procedure for Technical Inspection of Small Vessels...", "Regulations on the Procedure and Grounds for Issuance, Exchange, Annulment, and Withdrawal of the Certificate of Competence for Operating a Motorized Small Vessel...", "Regulations on the Procedure and Grounds for Issuance, Exchange, Annulment, and Withdrawal of the International Certificate of Competence for Operating a Pleasure Craft...", and "Rules for the Use of Small Vessels and Bases (Structures) for Their Mooring."
The specified regulatory legal act entered into force on January 1, 2026.
We draw the special attention of owners of small vessels and boaters to the fact that most of the changes concern the Rules for the use of small vessels, which must be studied and subsequently complied with in the upcoming season.
In particular, the obligation of the vessel owner has been established at the legislative level, when providing a small vessel for rent or other use, to provide the small vessel in good technical condition with the necessary set of equipment, as well as the vessel's passport and a certificate of vessel's fitness for operation (for a small vessel subject to state registration and classification). First of all, this applies to vessel owners who rent out living quarters to vacationers, to whom they provide their boats for use.
Responsibility has also been established for the boat operator, i.e., the person operating the small vessel, for operating a small vessel with persons on board or towed by this vessel (water skis, wakeboards, "bananas", tubes, parasailing equipment) without fastened life jackets. This same requirement applies to the boat operator himself.
On small vessels towing the specified equipment, in addition to the boat operator, there must be another person who is obliged to monitor the people on board and inform the boat operator about the occurrence of emergency situations with them.
A new provision is also the prohibition of transporting children under 7 years of age on a small vessel without the accompaniment of an adult. In this case, the boat operator is not considered an accompanying person.
All legislative requirements concerning the registration and operation of small vessels can be found on the official website of the State Institution "GIMS" of the Republic of Belarus on the Internet in the "Legislation" tab.

GIMS of Vitebsk Region