The following is a summary of Florida's boating laws, found in Ch. This information is included in all certified boating safety courses taught in Florida.
Note : This information is accurate as of September and is subject to change in May of each year. Please call the FWC's Boating Safety Section at for annual updates to this information or questions regarding boating safety course requirements. There is no minimum age to operate a boat. However the personal watercraft regulations and boating safety requirements below are age specific and would apply.
Except in the event of an emergency, it is unlawful to moor or fasten to any lawfully placed navigation aid or regulatory maker. The following regulations apply whenever someone is wholly or partially submerged and is using a face mask and snorkel or underwater breathing apparatus. A divers-down warning device may be a divers-down flag, buoy, or other similar warning device.
These devices are designed for, and used by, divers and dive vessels as a way to notify nearby boaters that divers are in the water in the immediate area. The device must be displayed prominently when in use. The divers-down warning device must meet the following requirements. Except in the event of an emergency, it is unlawful for any person to anchor or operate a vessel in a manner that will unreasonably interfere with the navigation of other vessels.
No person may operate a monohull boat of less than 20 feet in length while exceeding the maximum weight, persons, or horsepower capacity as displayed on the manufacturer's capacity plate.
Vessels operating in Florida waters must comply with the U. Coast Guard requirements relating to marine sanitation devices, where applicable. Information about Paddleboard Regulations. Skip to main content.
Report Issues Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Go Outdoors Florida! Expand All Collapse All. All vessels, with the exception of non-motor-powered vessels less than 16 feet in length, non-motor-powered canoes, kayaks, racing shells or rowing sculls, regardless of length, must be registered through your local Tax Collector's Office. Letters must be separated from the numbers by a hyphen or space equal to letter width.
The Certificate of Registration must be on board and available for inspection by an enforcement officer whenever the vessel is operated. Vessels must be registered and numbered within 30 days of purchase. Registration numbers must be displayed on the forward half of the vessel on both sides above the waterline.
The numbers must be bold block letters at least 3" high in a color contrasting to the hull. The vessel registration decal must be renewed annually and is to be displayed within 6 inches of, either before or after, the registration numbers on the port left side.
Documented vessels without a state registration in full force and effect must also obtain a Florida registration and display the validation decal on the port side of the vessel when using Florida waters. Also see: flhsmv. It is unlawful for any person operating a vessel involved in a boating accident to leave the scene without giving all possible aid to the involved persons and without reporting the accident to the proper authorities.
Anyone who operates a vessel with willful disregard for the safety of persons or property will be cited for reckless operation a first-degree misdemeanor. All operators are responsible for operating their vessel in a reasonable and prudent manner with regard for other vessel traffic, posted restrictions, the presence of a divers-down flag and other circumstances so as not to endanger people outside of the vessel or property.
Failure to do so is considered careless operation a non-criminal infraction. A violation of the Federal Navigation Rules is also a violation of Florida law. This course must be completed following the date of the second violation, and proof of completion must be filed with the Commission's Boating and Waterways Section.
Violator courses require approximately 4 hours to complete and must be taken through a specified State of Florida-approved online course. A violator's privilege to operate a vessel in Florida is suspended until proof of course completion is filed with the FWC.
Frequently Asked Questions. The exhaust of every engine used on any airboat operated in Florida must use an automotive-style factory muffler, underwater exhaust, or other manufactured device capable of adequately muffling the sound of the engine exhaust. The use of cutouts or flex pipe as the sole source of muffling is prohibited. Airboats must be equipped with a mast or flagpole displaying a flag that is at least 10 feet above the lowest part of the boat.
The flag must be square or rectangular, at least 10 inches by 12 inches in size, international orange in color, and displayed so it is visible from any direction. Any vessel operating in a speed zone posted as "Idle Speed - No Wake" must operate at the minimum speed that allows the vessel to maintain headway and steerageway.
Any vessel operating in a speed zone posted as "Slow Down - Minimum Wake" must operate fully off plane and completely settled in the water. The vessel's wake must not be excessive nor create a hazard to other vessels. It is a violation of Florida law to operate a vessel while impaired by alcohol or other drugs.
A vessel operator suspected of boating under the influence must submit to sobriety tests and a physical or chemical test to determine blood- or breath-alcohol content. In Florida, a vessel operator is presumed to be under the influence if their blood- or breath-alcohol level is at or above.
Any person under 21 years of age who is found to have a breath-alcohol level of. The operator of a vessel towing someone on skis or another aquaplaning device must either have an observer, in addition to the operator, on board who is attendant to the actions of the skier or have and use a wide-angle rear-view mirror.
No one may water ski or use another aquaplaning device unless they are wearing a U. Coast Guard-approved non-inflatable wearable personal flotation device PFD. No one may ski or use another aquaplaning device while impaired by alcohol or other drugs. The operator of a vessel towing a skier may not pull the skier close enough to a fixed object or another vessel that there is Hull Lights For Boats Usa risk of collision. Each person operating, riding on, or being towed behind a personal watercraft must wear an approved non-inflatable wearable personal flotation device PFD.
Inflatable PFDs are prohibited for personal watercraft use. Remember, both federal and state law requires the use of navigation lights from sunset to sunrise. Maneuvering a personal watercraft by weaving through congested vessel traffic, jumping the wake of another vessel unreasonably close or when visibility around the vessel is obstructed, or swerving at the last possible moment to avoid collision is classified as reckless operation of a vessel a first-degree misdemeanor.
A person must be at least 14 years of age to operate a personal watercraft in Florida. A person must be at least 18 years of age to rent a personal watercraft in Florida. It is unlawful for a person to knowingly allow a person under 14 years of age to operate a personal watercraft a second-degree misdemeanor. Anyone born on or after January 1, is required to either have successfully completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators NASBLA approved boating education course or have passed a course equivalency or temporary certificate examination and have in their possession a boating education ID card and a photo identification card before operating a vessel with a motor of 10 HP or more in Florida.
Identification cards for persons completing the course or the equivalency exam are good for a lifetime. Temporary Certificate exams are made available to the public through contractors. The temporary certificate is valid for 12 months from the issue date.
The following operators are exempt: A person licensed by the U. Coast Guard as a master of a vessel. A person operating on a private lake or pond. An operator who is accompanied onboard by a person who is least 18 years old and possesses the required Boating Safety Education Identification Card, provided that person is attendant to and responsible for the safe operation of the vessel.
An operator who is accompanied onboard by a person who is exempt from the educational requirements, provided that person is attendant to and responsible for the safe operation of the vessel. A non-resident who has in his or her possession proof that he or she has completed a NASBLA-approved boater safety course or equivalency examination from another state.
A person who is operating a vessel within 90 days after the purchase of that vessel, provided they have available for inspection aboard that vessel, a bill of sale meeting all the requirements as established in Chapter A person operating a vessel within 90 days after completing an approved boating safety course, as required in Chapter The course completion certificate must provide the student's first and last name, date of birth, and the date the course was successfully completed.
Effective Oct. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions. See also Boat Safety Equipment. The divers-down warning device must contain a divers-down symbol. The symbol is a red rectangle or square with a white diagonal stripe. If multiple stripes are displayed, all of the stripes must be oriented in the same direction.
The size of the divers-down symbol depends on whether the divers-down warning device is displayed from the water or from a vessel. On the water, the divers-down symbol must be at least 12 x 12 inches in size. On a vessel, the symbol must be at least 20 x 24 inches in size.
When displayed on a boat, the divers-down warning device also must be displayed at the highest point of the vessel so that its visibility is not obstructed in any direction. Divers-Down Instructions If the divers-down warning device is a flag, the divers-down symbol must be on each face and have a wire stiffener or be otherwise constructed to ensure it remains fully unfurled and extended, even when there is no wind or breeze.
If the divers-down symbol is a buoy, the buoy must have three or four sides with the divers-down symbol displayed on each of the flat sides. Boaters must make reasonable efforts to stay at least feet away from divers-down warning devices in open water and at least feet away in rivers, inlets, or navigation channels.
Boaters approaching divers-down warning devices closer than feet in open water and feet in rivers, inlets, or navigation channels must slow down to idle speed. Divers-must make a reasonable effort to stay within feet of a divers-down flag or a buoy within rivers, inlets, or navigation channels and within feet on open water.
A divers-down warning device may not be displayed when divers are out of the water. The PFDs must be of the appropriate size for the intended wearer, be in serviceable condition, and within easy access.
The state of Florida urges all people onboard a boat to wear a life jacket. Vessels with built-in fuel tanks or enclosed compartments where gasoline fumes can accumulate are required to carry at least one fire extinguisher depending upon vessel length which is approved for marine use.
All vessels are required to carry an efficient sound-producing device, such as a referee's whistle. Vessels less than 16 feet in length are required to carry at least 3 visual distress signals approved for nighttime use when on coastal waters from sunset to sunrise.
The use of sirens or flashing, occulting or revolving lights is prohibited except where expressly allowed by law. Recreational vessels are required to display navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and during periods of reduced visibility fog, rain, haze, etc. The U.
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