Maryland boating laws
What you need before you launch in Maryland: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
Anyone born on or after July 1 1972 needs a boating safety certificate to operate any motorized vessel. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
PWC operators must be 16 or older.
Life jackets
Children under 13 must wear a life jacket on recreational vessels under 21 ft.
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 with mechanical propulsion used mostly in Maryland must be registered.
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 Maryland
Links go to official Maryland agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Maryland source before you go. This is not legal advice.