Arkansas boating laws
What you need before you launch in Arkansas: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
Anyone born on or after Jan 1 1986 needs a boater education card to operate a motorboat or sailboat. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
Must be 12 to operate 10 hp or more alone. PWC operators must be 16, or 12 to 15 with someone 18 or older aboard.
Life jackets
Children 12 and younger must wear a life jacket at all times except in an enclosed area or within railings.
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 moved by sail or motor, including trolling motors, must be registered.
Boating under the influence
It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 (0.02 under 21) or higher.
Before you launch in Arkansas
Links go to official Arkansas agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Arkansas source before you go. This is not legal advice.