State Law vs. Federal Law

Registration and Titling Requirements:

All undocumented motorized watercraft operated, moored or anchored on the waterways of Arizona must be registered and numbered with the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The following are vessels are exception from registration:

• Non-motorized vessel such as canoe, kayaks, rafts and sailboats without motors.
• Vessels having valid registration in another state and not remaining in Arizona waters for more than 90 consecutive days.
• Boats properly documented with the United States Coast Guard.
• A ship's life boat(s).

Once the AZGFD is in receipt of the proper application and fee, you will be issued an Arizona Certificate of Number. This pocket-sized registration card must be kept aboard the boat at all times and be readily available for inspection by a law enforcement officer. You will also be issued a Registration Decal.

You must display your registration decals and registration numbers (beginning with AZ) on the forward half of your vessel well above the waterline where it can be easily read by law enforcement officials. Letters and numbers are to be block style of at least 3” tall and must be black or another color that contrasts with the hull. Letters and numbers are to read from left to right and have a space or hyphen to separate letter and numbers. The registration decals must be affixed within three inches in front of and inline with the registration numbers.

Laws for Required Wearing of PFDs :

In addition to the federal PFD carriage requirements, Arizona has the following requirements for wearing a PFD:

Children 12 and under must wear a properly fitting PFD while boating!

Additional Equipment Requirements:

Beyond minimum federal equipment requirements, some states may have other requirements for certain bodies of water. Please check with your state boating agency for a list of the required equipment for where you intend to boat.

Arizona law requires the following items on all bodies of water:

Also, Arizona recommends the use of the following additional safety equipment:

• Compass and charts
• Marine VHF radio
• Anchoring equipment
• Bailing device
• Spare parts & tools
• Extra starting battery
• Oars or paddles
• Flashlight

Mufflers and Noise Levels:

An effective muffling system is required for the exhaust of each engine. Any boat operated on the waters of Arizona must be muffled with a permanently installed muffler or similar device to effectively reduce noise. Specifically, it is illegal to exceed:

• 86 decibels when measured on the "A" weighted scale at a distance of 50 feet or more from the vessel.

In general, do not modify your factory exhaust if the result makes it louder!

Loud boat noise not only bothers other operators and users of the waterways, it can also disrupt peace ashore because of sound's ability to travel great distances over water. Excessive noise can also prevent a boat operator from hearing other boat's sound signals and warnings and can prevent you from hearing approaching law or rescue personnel.

Requirements for Waste, Oil and Garbage Disposal:

• Federal regulations and equipment standards established jointly by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard govern the uses of marine sanitation devices (MSDs).
• All boats with onboard toilet facilities must have a method to collect and contain all waste products, preventing it from entering surrounding waters. It is illegal to discharge sewage, treated or untreated, or any waste derived from sewage, into any water in the state of Arizona.

All installed MSDs must be US Coast Guard certified
and have a “Y” valve in proper positioning!

• Type I and II MSDs must have a "Y" valve secured to allow for waste to enter a proper on board holding tank for future drainage at a pump-out station. Type III MSDs will typically have a built in holding tank with no external plumbing and cannot be pumped overboard. Type III MSDs must be pumped ashore at a proper facility.

It is illegal to dump sewage, oil or garbage into any Arizona state waters!

• Discharge of fuel, oil or any oil product, including contaminated bilge water, is strictly prohibited. All boats 26 feet or longer must properly display a 5x8 inch Oily Waste Discharge placard near the bilge pump switch.
• All boats 26 feet or longer, when operating in waters under federal jurisdiction, must display an informational placard on the subject of federal marine pollution prevention laws. The placard must be 4x9 inches and placed in a location where crew and passengers can read it.

Mandatory Education and Age Requirements:

• At this time, New Mexico has no mandatory education requirements. However, it is recommended that all boaters take a boating safety course before operation.
• No person under the age of 12 may operate a watercraft propelled by a motor greater than 8 horsepower (hp) - this includes PWCs. The only exceptions are in the case of an emergency or if a person at least 18 years of age is aboard.

Reckless & Negligent Operation:

The failure to exercise the degree of care necessary to prevent endangering persons, property or wildlife may be considered reckless or negligent operation. Therefore, no person shall operate any vessel or manipulate water skis, wakeboard, tube or similar device in manner that can bring harm to themselves, their passengers, other boaters or the environment.

Some activities considered negligent or reckless operation in Arizona:

• Speeding in no-wake zones or boating in areas marked as restricted.
• Weaving through congested waterways and other boat traffic or failure to follow the navigation rules.
• Exceeding the weight or number of persons on board or overpowering the craft with an engine larger than designated as listed on the capacity plate.
• Allowing a passenger to ride on the gunwale, bow, transom or in any other position obviously dangerous at greater than no wake speed.
• Deliberately going against the flow of traffic - specifically, you must follow a counter-clockwise flow of traffic.
• Chasing, harassing or disturbing wildlife with your vessel.

Additional laws that apply to personal watercraft (PWC):

Boat Speed Limits:

Boat speed limits are regulated by law for certain areas and conditions. When no speed limit is posted, operate your boat so that it will not endanger others. Always keep a proper lookout and never load a boat with passengers or cargo beyond its safe carrying capacity. You are responsible for your wake!

• White buoys with red or orange markings and black letters will indicate speed limits and no-wake zones.
• When operating your boat in a no-wake zone you must proceed at a speed at which the vessel does not produce a wake, not to exceed 5 miles per hour.
• In times of restricted visibility such as in fog or stormy conditions, you must be able to stop your vessel within half the distance of forward visibility. At all times, operators must be prepared to avoid a collision and have engines ready for immediate maneuvering.

Special Activities Restrictions and Considerations:

Many states regulate certain water sport activities such as waterskiing, diving and hunting from a vessel. For your safety, and for those who may be in the water, you should learn and abide by these special laws.

Special Activities, Restrictions & Requirements:

• Operating your ski boat in a reckless manner or such that that a person being towed crosses another boat or another skier is prohibited.
• A person operating a tow vessel must have an observer aboard and must carry and use a red or orange 12" square "skier down" flag anytime a skier is in the water.
• All boats or PWCs used for skiing or towing operations must be rated for at least for 3 people to accommodate the operator, observer and retrieved skier and must be able to accommodate an additional observer if required as above. In any event, you must never exceed the vessel's recommended carrying capacity.
• When towing a person on water skis or similar device, the participant must wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD or buoyant belt. If the participant chooses to wear a buoyant belt, an approved PFD for this person must be aboard the towboat.
• Towing activities must take place only during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).
• Vessels engaged in scuba diving and snorkeling must display a red and white diver down flag. Other boats must keep a safe distance (100 yards is suggested distance) of the flag.
• Vessels engaged in diving activity and restricted in their ability to maneuver, must hoist a blue and white alfa flag when conducting operations in federal and international waters. This does not replace the divers' flag.

Special Marking System and the US ATON:
In the past, many inland states including Arizona, used the Uniform Waterway Marking System (USWMS) which was developed in 1966. This system however, was phased out in favor of the official U.S. Aids to Navigation System (ATON) beginning in 1998. This was done because in some instances, USWMS conflicted with ATON and the established federal system.

The phase out of the USWMS was completed in 2003. However, it is possible that you may encounter a marker that has not yet been replaced or removed. Below are a few differences from the federal system that you should know about in the rare instance that you see a marker from the old system.

Summary of the important changes regarding the phase out of USWMS.

• The old USWMS black port side channel markers are now GREEN can buoys.
• The old USWMS red starboard side channel markers are now red NUN buoys.
• The old USWMS red and white vertically striped buoys have been replaced by one of the following: a red or green channel marker directing safe passage, an orange and white regulatory marker, or a red and black isolated danger marker.
• The old USWMS white buoys topped with black or red bands, have been replaced by one of the following: a red or green channel marker directing safe passage, an orange and white regulatory marker, or a red and black isolated danger marker.

For more information on the buoy system, visit the Aids to Navigation section of the BoatU.S. Study Guide at http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/ReviewPages/BoatUSF/Project/section5.htm.

Operating Under the Influence

Operating Under the Influence (OUI) is illegal nation wide. State OUI laws are becoming more stringent. As on the roadways, on-water enforcement officers may administer sobriety tests and conduct a chemical test to determine level of sobriety.

In Arizona

• No person shall operate any vessel, personal watercraft, water skis or similar device while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Boaters that have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or greater are considered boating/operating under the influence (OUI). Extreme OUI is a BAC of 0.15 or greater.
• By operating your boat in the state of Arizona, you have consented to and must submit to evidentiary testing for drug and alcohol use if requested by law enforcement personnel.
• Arizona law prescribes fines and possible jail times for those who violate state OUI laws.

Officer Authority, Compliance & Assistance

Officers of the Arizona Game & Fish Department, park rangers, county sheriffs and any other law enforcement or peace officer has the authority to stop and/or inspect vessels to enforce Arizona and federal boating laws. Additionally, the United States Coast Guard has enforcement authority on federally controlled waters.

Officers of the Arizona Game & Fish Department have the authority to stop and/or inspect vessels!

Boat operators must immediately yield and reduce speed when being overtaken, approached or directed by a law enforcement official. When operating in an area of law enforcement activity, you must reduce speed and give a wide berth until beyond the area of operation of the law enforcement vessel.

Accident Reporting Requirements

• Anyone involved in a boating accident is required to stop and give assistance as long as it will not personally endanger any of the operators, passengers or vessels involved.
• You should always be prepared to exchange information like name, address, phone numbers and boat registration numbers with other parties involved and/or law enforcement personnel.
• A report must be filed directly with the AGFC within 48 hours if the accident resulted in death. If it resulted in an injury beyond first aid or property damage of more than $500, then the report must be filed to the department within 5 days.

Accident report forms should be sent to Arizona Game & Fish Department, Boating Law Administrator, 2221 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix, AZ.

Other State Boating Laws

Often times counties, cities and districts within a state will have different, more restrictive laws. Boating laws are subject to change and it is your responsibility to be informed of the law as it applies to you and your on water activities. To be absolutely certain about specific boating laws in your state it is wise to contact your state boating agency.

It is Your Responsibility – Be Informed!

We provide this information as a service and strive to keep this website up to date. Please let us know of any inconsistencies by bringing them to our attention at once at onlinecourse@boatus.com. Resources for these pages include state statutes, state web pages and state approved boating guides. BoatU.S. is not responsible for any misinterpretation of the law or any change in the law that is not adequately reflected in these pages. Damages as a result of failing to abide by stated law shall not be the responsibility of BoatU.S., BoatU.S. Foundation or its employees.

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