Utah boating laws
What you need before you launch in Utah: boater education, age limits, life jackets, safety gear and registration.
Boater education
PWC operators 12 to 17 need a course. Starting Jan 1 2027 all motorboat and sailboat operators need a course, repeated each year. Official course info
Who can drive a boat
PWC operators 12 to 17 need a course.
Life jackets
Children under 13 must wear a life jacket.
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 a motor (gas or electric) and sailboats must be registered.
Boating under the influence
It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 or higher.
Before you launch in Utah
🧼 All boats must stop at mandatory inspection stations, and boats leaving Lake Powell may need decontamination.
Links go to official Utah agency pages.
Summary checked 2026-10-27. Rules change, so confirm with the official Utah source before you go. This is not legal advice.