Arizona boating laws
What you need before you launch in Arizona: 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
Operators under 12 may not run a boat over 8 hp without an adult 18 or older aboard.
Life jackets
Children 12 and younger must wear a life jacket, and so must every PWC rider.
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
All watercraft with a motor, including electric, must be registered.
Boating under the influence
It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 (0.04 for commercial vessels) or higher.
Before you launch in Arizona
🧼 Boats that spent 6 or more days on a quagga mussel water must be inspected and decontaminated before going to another water.
Links go to official Arizona agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Arizona source before you go. This is not legal advice.