Kentucky boating laws
What you need before you launch in Kentucky: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
Operators 12 to 17 need a Safe Boating Certificate to operate 10 hp or more alone. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
Must be 12 or older to operate 10 hp or more.
Life jackets
Children under 12 must wear a life jacket in the open part of a boat 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
Every motorboat must be registered and numbered.
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 Kentucky
Links go to official Kentucky agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Kentucky source before you go. This is not legal advice.