Vessel Registration

€ All vessels operating with mechanical propulsion devices (such as gas or electric outboards) are required to be registered.

€ Vessels must be registered and numbered within 30 days of purchase.

€ The vessel registration decal must be renewed annually and is to be displayed within six 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.

Boating Accidents

€ The operator of a vessel involved in a boating accident, where there is personal injury beyond immediate first-aid, death, disappearance of any person under circumstances which indicate death or injury, or if there is damage to the vessel(s) and/or personal property of at least $500, must, by the quickest means possible, give notice to one of the following: the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the sheriff of the county in which the accident occurred, or the police chief of the municipality in which the accident occurred, if applicable.

€ 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.

Reckless & Careless Operation

€ 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, in the presence of a diver-down flag, and other circumstances so as to not endanger other people or property. Failure to do so is considered careless operation (a non-criminal infraction).

€ A violation of the Federal Navigation Rule is also a violation of Florida law.

Mandatory Violator Education

€ Florida law requires that anyone convicted of a criminal boating violation, non-criminal boating infraction which resulted in an accident, or two non-criminal boating infractions within a 12- month period, must enroll in, attend, and successfully complete a NASBLA/state approved classroom boater education course. Correspondence or on-line course applications do not meet these requirements.

Vessel Speed Restrictions

€ Any vessel operating in a speed zone posted as "Idle Speed­No Wake" must operate at the minimum speed that will maintain steerageway.

€ Any vessel operating in a speed zone posted as "Slow Down­Minimum Wake" must operate fully off plane and completely settled in water. The vessel's wake must not be excessive nor create hazard to other vessels.

Boating Under The Influence

€ 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 a sobriety test and a 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 content is at or above 0.08 percent.

Water Ski Regulations

€ The operator of a vessel towing someone on skies 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 rearview mirror.

€ No one may ski or aquaplane between the hours of 30 minutes past sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.

€ No one may water ski or use another aquaplaning device unless they are wearing a U.S.C.G. approved Type I, II, III, or noninflatable type V, personal floatation device (PFD). Inflatable personal floatation devices are prohibited.

€ 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 risk of collision.

Personal Watercraft Regulations

€ Each person operating or riding on a personal watercraft must wear an approved Type I, II, III, or V personal floatation device. Inflatable personal floatation devices are prohibited.

€ The operator of a personal watercraft must attach the engine cutoff switch lanyard (if equipped by the manufacturer) to his/her person, clothing or PFD.

€ Personal watercraft may not be operated from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before 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).

Mooring To Markers Or Buoys

€ Except in the event of an emergency, it is unlawful to moor or fasten to any lawfully placed navigation aid or regulatory maker.

Boater Safety Education

€ Anyone 21 years and under, who operates a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more must pass an approved boater safety course and have in his/her possession photographic identification and a boater safety identification card issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A person is exempt from this requirement if there is a person on board who is not affected by this law and who is attendant to and responsible for the safe operation of the vessel.

€ Anyone who is convicted of a criminal boating violation, any boating infraction arising from involvement in a reportable boating accident, or two non-criminal boating safety violations within a 12 month period must attend and successfully complete an approved boating safety course and file proof with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The violator's privilege to operate a vessel in the state will be suspended until proof of course completion is filed.

Diver Down Flag

€ The size of divers-down flags displayed on vessels should be 20 inches by 24 inches, and a stiffener is required to keep the flag unfurled. Dive flags carried on floats may still be 12 inches by 12 inches. Also, divers-down flags on vessels must be displayed so that the flag's visibility is not obstructed.

€ Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of the divers-down flag on all waterways other than rivers, inlets, or navigation channels, and vessel operators must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of 300 feet from the flags on these waters. Vessels approaching divers down flags closer than 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets, and navigation channels must slow their vessels to idle speed.

€ Vessel operators must make reasonable efforts to maintain a distance of 100 feet from any divers-down flag while on a river, inlet, or navigation channel, and divers are reminded that they must make a reasonable effort to stay within 100 feet of the divers-down flag on rivers, inlets and navigation channels.

Interference With Navigation

€ Except in the event of an emergency, it is unlawful for any person to anchor or operate a vessel in a manner which will unreasonably interfere with the navigation of other vessels.

Equipment & Lighting

€ The owner and operator of a vessel is responsible to carry, store, maintain, and use the safety equipment required by the U.S.C.G. safety equipment requirements.

€ A child under age six must wear a U.S.C.G. approved type I, II, or III personal floatation device while on board a vessel under 26 feet in length while the vessel is underway. "Underway" is defined as anytime except when the vessel is anchored, moored, made fast to the shore or aground.

€ The use of sirens or flashing, osculating or revolving lights is prohibited except where expressly allowed by law.

Maximum Loading & Horsepower

€ No person may operate a monohull boat of less than 20 feet in length while exceeding the maximum weight, persons, or horse power capacity as displayed on the manufacturers capacity plate.

Liveries (Boat/PWC Rental Facilities)

€ The facility is prohibited from renting a vessel that does not have proper safety equipment, exceeds the recommended horsepower or load capacity, or is not seaworthy.

€ The facility must provide pre-rental or pre-ride instruction on the safe operation of the vessel with a motor of 10 horse-power or more.

€ All renters required by law to have a boater education identification card must have the card or its equivalent before the facility may rent to them.

€ PWC Liveries must provide on-the-water demonstration and a check ride to evaluate the proficiency of renters.

€ PWC Liveries must not rent to anyone under the age of 18 years of age.

€ PWC Liveries must display safety information on the proper operation of a PWC. The information must include: propulsion, steering and stopping characteristics of jet pump vessels, the location and content of warning labels, how to reboard a PWC, the applicability of the Navigational Rules to PWC operation, problems with seeing and being seen by other boaters, reckless operation, and noise, nuisance, and environmental concerns.

Marine Sanitation Devices

€ Vessels operating in Florida waters must comply with the U.S.C.G. requirements relating to marine sanitation devices, if applicable.

Muffling Devices

€ All vessels must be equipped with an effective muffling device.

€ It is illegal to operate or give permission to operate a vessel or PWC in a manner which exceeds a sound level of 90 DBA measured at a distance of 50 feet from the vessel.

€ The use of cutouts is prohibited.

Law Enforcement Authority

€ Law enforcement officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sheriff deputies of the various counties, and any other authorized enforcement officer, shall have the authority to order the removal of vessels deemed to be an interference or hazard to public safety, enforce all boating safety laws, or cause any inspection to be made of all vessels in accordance to state law.

€ A law enforcement officer may board any vessel if the owner or operator is aboard for the purpose of checking for boating safety equipment.

Manatee Awareness

€ Manatees are protected by state and federal law.

€ It is illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal including manatees. Anything that disrupts a manatee's normal behavior is a violation of law, punishable under federal law up to a $ 50,000 fine, one-year imprisonment or both.

€ Boaters must observe all manatee regulatory zone requirements.

Sea Grass Awareness

€ Sea grasses are the principal food for endangered marine herbivores such as manatees and green sea turtles.

€ Boaters should make all available attempts to avoid running through grass beds.

€ Navigation charts identify sea grass beds as light green or marked as "grs" on the chart.

€ Boaters should make all possible attempts to stay within channels when unfamiliar with a waterway. Avoid taking shortcuts through sea grass beds, which may cause propeller scars.

€ It is considered a violation to damage sea grass beds in some areas within state waters.

For more information, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Boating Safety Office at (850) 488-5600.