Florida boating laws
What you need before you launch in Florida: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
Anyone born on or after Jan 1 1988 needs a Boating Safety Education ID card to operate 10 hp or more. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
No one under 14 may operate a PWC, and you must be 18 to rent one.
Life jackets
Children under 6 must wear a life jacket on vessels under 26 ft while underway.
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 motorized vessels must be registered. Non-motorized vessels under 16 ft, canoes and kayaks are exempt.
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 Florida
Links go to official Florida agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Florida source before you go. This is not legal advice.