South Dakota boating laws
What you need before you launch in South Dakota: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
No boater education course is required. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
Under 12 may not operate over 6 hp without someone 18 or older aboard. Under 14 may not operate a PWC without someone 18 or older aboard.
Life jackets
Children under 7 must wear a life jacket at more than no-wake speed.
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
Motorboats and non-motorized boats over 12 ft 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 South Dakota
🧼 Boats must stop at open inspection stations, and boats with plants, mussels or standing water must be decontaminated.
Links go to official South Dakota agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official South Dakota source before you go. This is not legal advice.