Maine boating laws
What you need before you launch in Maine: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
Anyone born on or after Jan 1 1999 needs a boater safety course to operate over 25 hp on inland or territorial waters (since 2024). Official course info
Who can drive a boat
Under 12 may not operate over 10 hp without someone 16 or older aboard.
Life jackets
Starting Jan 1 2026, children 12 and under 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
Boats are registered with your town, and excise tax is paid there.
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 Maine
Links go to official Maine agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Maine source before you go. This is not legal advice.