Boating, Paddling & Water Safety

Water skiing, tubing & towing

Pulling a skier, tube, or wakeboard needs a watcher or mirror, a life jacket, daylight, and a skier-down flag.

Keep eyes on the person you're towing

You need an observer aboard in addition to the operator, OR a wide-angle rear-view mirror.

The towed person wears a life jacket

The person being towed wears a USCG-approved life jacket.

Daylight only

No towing from sunset to sunrise.

The skier-down flag is the law

Fly it when someone is in the water

The skier-down / person-in-water flag is required by law (RSMo 306.126): a red or orange flag at least 12 by 12 inches, displayed on the Missouri River, the Mississippi River, and the lakes, between 11 a.m. and sunset, whenever a person has left the vessel and is in the water (not while you're actively towing). Other boats slow to no-wake within 50 yards of a displayed flag.

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: RSMo 306.126 requires the skier-down flag. Fly it when someone you were towing has left the boat and is in the water. Slow to no-wake within 50 yards of any boat displaying one.

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