Alaska boating laws
What you need before you launch in Alaska: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
No boater education course is required. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
No state minimum operator age was found on the agency pages.
Life jackets
Anyone under 13 must wear a life jacket in an open boat, on deck, or when being towed.
Required safety gear
Federal U.S. Coast Guard minimums apply:
- A wearable life jacket for each person aboard, plus a throwable cushion or ring on boats 16 feet and longer
- A fire extinguisher on most motorboats with an enclosed engine or fuel tank
- A whistle or horn
- Navigation lights if you are out between sunset and sunrise or in poor visibility
- Visual distress signals (flares or a flag) on coastal waters and the Great Lakes
Registration
Boats with any mechanical propulsion, including electric motors, must be registered with the DMV every 3 years.
Boating under the influence
It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 (state DUI law covers watercraft) or higher.
Before you launch in Alaska
Links go to official Alaska agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Alaska source before you go. This is not legal advice.