Re: Over loading boats above the capacity plate max?
OK reality check.
The limits on the card are X people or Y pounds. Or. Disjunctive connector for those who know grammar.
If you have more than X people regardless of weight, you are in violation. It's very easy.
If you have more than Y pounds of ANYTHING in the boat you are in violation, whether it's people, dogs or lumber. And motor, fuel, anchor, etc. count toward the total. And it's the actual weight of each thing, whether person or dog or log.
SOME capacity tags add in the weight of the motor for you and what's left is your max for gear and people's actual weight.
The limits for the number of people and the weight are independent. Or. Disjunctive.
The "150 pounds per person" comes from dividing the weight capacity by the passenger limits to get an average--an unrealistic and irrelevant average at that, except it works with 200 pound people with 100 pound children. it's best just to forget you ever heard "150 pounds" and not repeat it here ever again.
Under some authorities, violating the sticker is itself a "crime." In other places, it's a crime to be unsafe, and the sticker is evidence (called a presumption in legal terms) of what is or may be unsafe.
Remember that too many people (children) under the total weight limit can be unsafe due to their numbers, not weight.
Cyclops is once again wrong and putting it in CAPITAL LETTERS does not make it right.