Boating, Paddling & Water Safety

Required safety gear

Start with a life jacket for every person aboard. Then add the extinguisher, sound device, lights, and engine items your boat needs.

Life jackets (PFDs)

One wearable life jacket per person — and some must be worn

One wearable, USCG-approved life jacket per person — the right size, in good condition, and accessible. Children under 7 must WEAR one at all times aboard, with the only exception being inside a totally enclosed cabin. Everyone on a PWC and anyone being towed must wear one. Boats 16 feet and longer also need a Type IV throwable cushion or ring.

The rest of the required gear

What else you must carry

Fire extinguisher

Boats with permanently installed fuel tanks, or enclosed spaces where fuel vapors can collect, need a USCG-approved marine fire extinguisher (newer 5-B/20-B ratings; older B-I/B-II may still count if serviceable and unexpired). A small open outboard under 26 feet with a portable tank and no vapor-trapping compartments may be exempt. PWC need a marine-approved extinguisher. Check the current USCG chart for your boat.

Sound device

Boats 16 to 40 feet need a horn, whistle, or other sound device; boats over 40 feet need a bell AND a horn or whistle. A whistle is smart for paddlers, too.

Navigation lights

Navigation lights are required from sunset to sunrise while underway — red and green at the bow, white at the stern — plus a white light when anchored.

A white light for paddlecraft

A canoe or kayak doesn't register, but it must carry a white flashlight or lantern between sunset and sunrise and in restricted visibility, ready to show in time to prevent a collision.

Engine safety equipment

Gasoline engines also need a backfire flame arrestor, proper ventilation, and a muffler — and you keep your registration and boater card aboard.

Safety-gear questions people ask first

Do paddlecraft need life jackets too?

Yes. A canoe, kayak, or paddleboard still needs a wearable life jacket for each person. Wearing it is the simple choice, especially on cold, fast, or crowded water.

What light does a kayak need after dark?

A paddlecraft needs a white light ready to show in time to avoid a collision. Do not count on being easy to see from a motorboat.

Does every motorboat need the same fire extinguisher?

No. The extinguisher rule follows the USCG framework and depends on the boat. Use the current chart for your boat; old advice is not enough.

What if I rent the boat or kayak?

Ask the outfitter what is included, then look over the gear at the dock. A rental counter does not help much once you are on the water.

Before you launch

Official sources and current guidance

The vessel, the water, and the managing agency can change the rule.

Last checked: 2026-06-18. Boating law, fees, and local lake and river rules change — and the water itself changes with the weather and the season. Confirm before you launch, and wear your life jacket.

This is a summary, not the law or a substitute for a boating course. Boating rules and fees change — confirm with the Highway Patrol, the Department of Revenue, and the agency that runs your water. In an emergency, call 911.

Heads up: The fire-extinguisher rule follows the USCG framework. It depends on permanent fuel tanks and vapor-trapping spaces, not a flat 'any boat with gas' claim. Use the current USCG chart for your boat, and keep gear aboard, sized right, and within reach.

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