State Regulations

Overview

Devices Covered:

Includes traditional amusement rides and ziplines. Excludes inflatables, water park attractions, challenge courses, obstacle courses, and hay rides.

Inspection Program:

Park or carnival staff must conduct daily ride inspections, with records maintained internally for at least 90 days. In addition, each ride must be inspected annually by a state-certified inspector, who may be an employee of the park or carnival. The inspector signs a statement certifying that the inspection took place.

Investigative Authority:

None. Legislation does not provide funding or authority for trained government safety officials to investigate accidents.

Reporting Criteria:

(A) Applies to all regulated rides – Injuries that involve (1) failure or malfunction of the ride and (2) result in death; dismemberment; permanent loss of the use of a body organ, member, function or system; or compound fracture must be reported to the director of the Amusement Ride Safety Committee within 8 hours. (B) Additional requirements for portable rides only – Injuries involving a ride failure and resulting in immediate overnight hospitalization – even if the injury doesn’t meet the conditions in clause (A) – must be reported to the fair, show, landlord or property owner; and the ride may not re-open to the public until written permission has been obtained from the fair, show, landlord, property owner, or director of the Amusement Ride Safety Committee. NOTE: Accident reports are given “protected” status by the 2019 law, limiting the information available to the public.

Last Update

September 11, 2019