State Boating Regulations

State Boater Education Requirements

You need to know the boating laws and regulations in the states where you boat. This link will direct you to your State’s own State specific information and quiz, if available.

 

California
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Mississippi
Nebraska
Nevada		 North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode_Island
South_Carolina
South_Dakota
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia

 

Other state information can be found below. To find out how to contact the appropriate state boating offices for information about age requirements, registration, boating safety, education, regulations, launch ramp sites, law enforcement, and local restrictions on boating areas in your state, simply click on the state abbreviation.

STATE BOATING OFFICES

 

ALABAMA  
Marine Police Division
Folsom Administrative Bldg.
64 N. Union St., Room 438
Montgomery AL 36104
334-242-3673		 ALASKA  
State of Alaska
Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
Office of Boating Safety
550 W. 7th Avenue #1370
Anchorage, AK 99501-3561
Phone: 907-269-8705
Fax: 907-269-8907
ARIZONA 
Game & Fish Dept.
2222 W. Greenway Rd.
Phoenix AZ 85023
602-942-3000

 

 ARKANSAS 
Game & Fish Commission
Boating Safety Section
2 Natural Resources Dr.
Little Rock AR 72205
501-223-6351
Boat registration:
501-223-6378
CALIFORNIA 
Dept. of Boating & Waterways
1629 S St.
Sacramento CA 95814
916-445-6281
Boat registration:
916-657-8013
To view California Specific Laws click boatsafe.com/California		 COLORADO 
Division of Parks &
Outdoor Recreation
13787 S. Highway 85
Littleton CO 80125
303-791-1954
CONNECTICUT 
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Boating Division
P.O. Box 280
Old Lyme CT 06371
860-434-8638
Boat registration:
860-566-1556 		 DELAWARE 
Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Control.
P.O. Box 1401
Dover DE 19903
302-739-3440
Boat Registration
302-739-3498
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
Metropolitan Police Dept.
Harbor Patrol
550 Water St. S.W.
Washington DC 20024
202-727-4582
FLORIDA (freshwater) 
Game & Freshwater Fish Commission
620 S. Meridian Street
Tallahassee FL 32399-1600
904-488-6257
To view Florida’s state specific information click boatsafe.com/Florida		 FLORIDA (saltwater)
Marine Patrol
MS 630
3900 Commonwealth Blvd.
Tallahassee FL 32399
904-488-5600, Ext. 28
To view Florida’s state specific information click boatsafe.com/Florida
GEORGIA 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Div.
2070 U.S. Highway 278, SE
Social Circle GA 30279
770-918-6408
Boat registration:
770-414-3337
HAWAII 
Dept. of Land & Natural Resources
Div. of Boating & Ocean Rec.
333 Queen Street, Suite 300
Honolulu HI 96813
808-587-1970		 IDAHO 
Dept. of Parks & Recreation
P.O. Box 83720
Boise ID 83720-0065
208-334-4180, ext. 224
ILLINOIS 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Office of Law Enforcement
524 S. Second St.-3rd floor
Springfield IL 62701-1787
217-782-6431
Boat Registration:
217-782-2138
To review Illinois’ Boating Regulations:
boatsafe.com/Illinois		 INDIANA 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Law Enforcement Division
IGCS W255D-
402 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis IN 46204
317-232-4010
Boat registration:
317-232-2821
To review Indiana’s Boating Regulations:
boatsafe.com/Indiana
IOWA 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Recreational Safety Div.
Wallace State Office Bldg.
Des Moines IA 50319
515-281-8652
Boat Registration:
515-281-5267
To review Iowa’s Boating Regulations:
boatsafe.com/Iowa		 KANSAS 
Dept. of Wildlife & Parks
512 SE 25th Avenue
Pratt KS 67124
316-672-5911 Ext. 156
Boat registration:
316-672-5911, Ext.127
Take the Kansas Online Boating Safety Course:
boatsafe.com/Kansas
KENTUCKY 
Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
Water Patrol
#1 Game Farm Road
Frankfort KY 40601
502-564-3074		 LOUISIANA 
Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries
P.O. Box 98000
Baton Rouge LA 70898-9000
504-765-2988
Boat registration
504-765-2898
MAINE (freshwater) 
Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Dept. Maine Warden Service
284 State St., Sta. 41
Augusta ME 04330
207-287-2766
Boat registration:
207-287-5209
To view Maine Boating Regulations: boatsafe.com/Maine		 MAINE (saltwater) 
Maine Marine Patrol
Special Services
State House Station #21
Augusta ME 04330
207-624-6550
To view Maine Boating Regulations: boatsafe.com/Maine
MARYLAND 
Dept. of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave.
Annapolis MD 21401
410-974-3211
To review Maryland’s State specific Boating Regulations:
boatsafe.com/Maryland		 MASSACHUSETTS 
Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife & Environmental Law
175 Portland St.
Boston MA 02114
617-727-3905
Boat registration:
617-727-3900
MICHIGAN 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Steven T. Mason Bldg.
P.O.Box 30031
Lansing MI 48909
517-335-3414
Boat registration:
517-322-1460		 MINNESOTA 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Boat & Water Safety Section
500 Lafayette Rd.
St. Paul MN 55155-4046
612-296-3310
Boat registration:
612-296-2316
MISSISSIPPI 
Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks
P.O. Box 451
Jackson MS 39205
601-364-2240
Boat registration:
601-364-2032
To review Mississippi’s State specific information: boatsafe.com/Mississippi		 MISSOURI 
Dept. of Public Safety
State Water Patrol
P.O. Box 1368
Jefferson City MO 65102
314-751-3333
Boat registration:
314-751-4509
MONTANA 
Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Boating Safety Division
1420 E. 6th St.
Helena MT 59620
406-444-2452
Boat registration:
406-846-1423
 NEBRASKA 
Game & Parks Commission
2200 N. 33rd St.
Lincoln NE 68503-0370
402-471-0641
To review Nebraska’s State Specific Laws: boatsafe.com/Nebraska
NEVADA 
Div. of Wildlife
Law Enforcement Bureau
P.O. Box 10678
Reno NV 89520-0022
702-688-1500
To review Nevada’s State specific information:
boatsafe.com/Nevada		 NEW HAMPSHIRE 
Dept. of Safety Marine Patrol
31 Dock Road
Gilford NH 03246
603-293-2037
NEW JERSEY 
State Police
Marine Law Enforcement Bureau
P.O. Box 7068
West Trenton NJ 08628-0068
609-882-2000
Boat registration:
888-486-3339 (in State)
(609) 292-6500 (Out of State)
 NEW MEXICO 
New Mexico State Parks
Boating Safety Section
P.O. Box 1147
Santa Fe NM 87504-1147
505-827-7465
Boat registration:
505-827-0612
NEW YORK
Office of Parks, Recreation &
Historic Preservation
Marine & Recreational Vehicles
Empire State Plaza
Agency Bldg. 1
Albany NY 12238
518-474-0445		 NORTH CAROLINA 
Wildlife Resources Comm.
Archdale Bldg.
Raleigh NC 27604-1188
919-733-3391
Boat registration:
919-662-4373
To view North Carolina’s State Specific Information: boatsafe.com/North_Carolina
NORTH DAKOTA 
Game & Fish Dept.
100 N. Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck ND 59501-5095
701-328-6300		 OHIO 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Division of Watercraft
4435 Fountain Square Drive
Fountain Square, Building. A
Columbus OH 43224-1300
614-265-6480
To view Ohio’s State Specific Information click hereboatsafe.com/Ohio
OKLAHOMA 
Dept. of Public Safety
3600 N. Martin Luther King
Oklahoma City OK 73136-0415
405-521-3221
Boat registration:
405-521-2439		 OREGON 
State Marine Board
435 Commercial St. N.E. #800
Salem OR 97310
503-378-8587 Ext. 241 
PENNSYLVANIA 
Fish & Boat Commission Bureau of Boating
P.O. Box 67000
Harrisburg PA 17106-7000
717-657-4540
Boat registration:
717-657-4551
To review Pennsylvania’s State specific information:
boatsafe.com/Pennsylvania		 PUERTO RICO 
Dept. of Natural Revenue
Commissioner of Navigation
P.O. Box 588, Pta. de Tierra
San Juan PR 00906
787-724-2340
RHODE ISLAND 
Dept. of Environmental Management
83 Park St.
Providence RI 02903
401-277-2284
Boat registration:
401-277-6647
To review Rhode Island Boating Regulations: boatsafe.com/Rhode_Island		 SOUTH CAROLINA 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Division of Boating
P.O. Box 12559
Charleston SC 29412
803-762-5034
To review South Carolina Boating Regulations:boatsafe.com/South_Carolina
SOUTH DAKOTA 
Dept. of Game Fish & Parks
523 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre SD 57501-3182
605-773-3630
To view South Dakota Boating Regulations: boatsafe.com/South_Dakota		 TENNESSEE 
Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville TN 37204
615-781-6682
TEXAS 
Parks & Wildlife Dept.
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin TX 78744
512-389-4800
Boat registration:
512-389-4828
To review Texas Boating Regulations: boatsafe.com/Texas		 U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 
Dept. of Planning &Natural Resources
396-1 Annas Retreat, Foster Plaza
St. Thomas VI 00802
809-771-7397
UTAH 
Division of Parks & Recreation
1636 W. North Temple St.
Salt Lake City UT 84116
801-538-7220
Boat registration:
801-972-5320
 VERMONT 
State Police-Marine Division
565 St. George Rd.
Williston VT 05495
802-244-8778
Boat registration:
802-828-2000
Take Vermont’s Online Boating Safety Course: boatsafe.com/Vermont
VIRGINIA  
Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries
Boat Section
4010 W. Broad Street
Richmond VA 23230-1104
804-367-1000
To review Virginia’s State specific information:
boatsafe.com/Virginia		 WASHINGTON 
State Parks & Recreation Commission
P.O. Box 42654
Olympia WA 98504-2654
360-902-8551
Boat registration:
360-902-3770
WEST VIRGINIA 
Div. of Natural Resources
Law Enforcement Section
Capitol Complex, Bldg. 3
Charleston WV 25305
304-558-2784  To review West Virginia’s State Specific Information:
boatsafe.com/West Virginia		 WISCONSIN 
Dept. of Natural Resources
Division of Law Enforcement
P.O. Box 7921
Madison WI 53707
608-266-2141
Boat registration:
608-267-7799
WYOMING
Dept. of Game & Fish
5400 Bishop Blvd.
Cheyenne WY 82006
307-777-4579		 CANADA 
Canadian Coast Guard
AMEC-9th floor
344 Slater Street
Ottawa, ONT K1A 0N7
613-990-7011
800-267-6687 (in Canada)
Boat registration: 613-991-3150
MEXICO 
Secretaria Turismo
Presidente Masaryk 172
Bosque Chapultepec
11587 Mexico City, Mexico
525-250-2501, 525-250-1954
and 525-250-8617
(Inquiries should be made in Spanish)