When boats must pay dockage fees and when they can be waived

(a) All watercraft: (1) Lying idle alongside any wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, or landing belonging to or controlled by the State; or (2) Discharging or receiving freight or passengers on or from any wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, or landing belonging to or controlled by the State, while made fast or lying alongside of the wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, or landing; shall pay to the department of transportation such rates of dockage as shall be fixed by the department. (b) All watercraft that receive or discharge freight or passengers: (1) From or upon any wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, or landing, by means of boats, lighters, or otherwise, while lying at anchor or under steam in any bay, harbor, or roadstead; or (2) While lying in any slip or dock belonging to or controlled by the State, but not made fast to or lying alongside any wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, or landing; shall pay such rates of dockage as shall be fixed by the department. (c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), the department may waive dockage and other charges at any wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, landing, slip, or dock belonging to or controlled by the State whenever: (1) The governor declares a state of emergency; and (2) The department determines that the waiver of dockage fees and other charges is consistent with assisting in the delivery of humanitarian relief to disaster-stricken areas of the State. (d) Any watercraft leaving any wharf, pier, bulkhead, quay, landing, slip, dock, basin, or waters belonging to or controlled by the State without paying dockage and other charges, with intent to evade the payment thereof, shall be liable to pay double rates.