Connecticut boating laws
What you need before you launch in Connecticut: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
A Safe Boating Certificate is needed for any motorboat or a sailboat 19.5 ft or longer, and PWC operators need a CPWO certificate. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
Children under 12 with a certificate need an adult certificate holder aboard for over 10 hp. Towing skiers or tubes requires an operator 16 or older with an endorsement.
Life jackets
Children under 13 must wear a life jacket while underway. Everyone on a manually propelled boat must wear one Oct 1 to May 31.
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
Motorboats and sailboats 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 Connecticut
Links go to official Connecticut agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Connecticut source before you go. This is not legal advice.