Iowa boating laws
What you need before you launch in Iowa: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
Operators 12 to 17 need a boating safety course to operate over 10 hp or a PWC. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
Operators under 12 may run over 10 hp only with an adult aboard.
Life jackets
Children under 13 must wear a life jacket 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 boats must be registered except canoes, kayaks and SUPs 13 ft or less with no motor or sail.
Boating under the influence
It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.
Before you launch in Iowa
Links go to official Iowa agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Iowa source before you go. This is not legal advice.