State Law vs. Federal Law

Registration and Titling Requirements:

To operate a vessel on the waters of Colorado, it must be registered with Colorado State Parks and display valid registration decals. The following are exceptions:

• Vessels not powered with either motor or sail, such as canoes, kayaks, sailboards and non-motorized rafts. However, these types of watercraft MUST be clearly marked with the owner’s name and address in a place where it is clearly visible.
• Vessels having valid registration in another state and not remaining in Colorado waters for more than 60 consecutive days.
• Vessels properly documented with the United States Coast Guard.

To register your boat and receive your Boat Registration Card and Expiration Date Decals, you must send the proper application form and registration fee to:

Colorado State Parks, Registration Unit
13787 South Highway 85
Littleton, CO 80125

Once in receipt of the application and fee, you will be issued a Colorado Boat Registration card. 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 set of Expiration Date Decals. The boat registration and expiration decals are valid for one year and will always expire on December 31st of each year.

The boat registration and expiration decals expire on December 31st of each year!

You must display your validation decals and registration numbers (beginning with CO) 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 expiration decals must be affixed to the left of the registration numbers.

Laws for Required Wearing of PFDs :

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

Children 12 years of age 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.

Specifically, Colorado law requires the following items on all bodies of water:

• A red or orange "skier down" flag when engaged in skiing operations.
• A "divers flag" or "alfa flag" for those engaged in diving operations.
• A lanyard type engine cut off switch attached to the operator of a PWC.

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 Colorado must be muffled with a permanently installed muffler or similar device to effectively reduce noise. Specifically:

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 boats' 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. Iit is illegal to discharge sewage, treated or untreated, or any waste derived from sewage, into any water in the state of Colorado.

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 sewage, oil or garbage into any Colorado 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:

• Boating education is mandatory for operators under 16 years of age (persons over the age of 16 may boat without restrictions). A person who is 14 or 15 years of age must take a boating safety course approved by the Colorado State Parks and must keep proof of course completion with them at all times while operating a motorboat or PWC.
• Persons under the age of 14 may not operate motorboats or PWCs at all.
• The BoatU.S. Online Safety Course does not authorize 14 and 15 year olds to operate motorboats or PWCs.

Reckless & Negligent Operation:

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

Some activities considered negligent or reckless operation in Colorado:

• 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.
• Jumping the wake of another vessel so that your vessel becomes airborne or crossing the wake of another vessel at an unsafe distance such that visibility is restricted.
• Operating your vessel so that another vessel must swerve to avoid a collision
• Exceeding the weight or number of persons on board as listed on the carrying capacity plate - or overloading a vessel beyond safe limits.
• Operating a vessel within 150 feet of any person fishing from shore (except when impractical).
• Allowing a passenger to ride on the gunwale, bow, transom or in any other position obviously dangerous and a risk of falling overboard exists.
• Chasing, harassing or disturbing wildlife with you 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 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 and hour.
• You may not operate a vessel at greater than 40 miles per hour, except at a sanctioned marine event.
• 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.

In Colorado, you may not operate your vessel at a speed greater than 40 miles per hour!

• It is illegal to operate your vessel at a greater than no-wake speed while within 150 feet of any swimming area, a moored vessel or a person in a vessel engaged in tending or servicing buoys or markers, a dock or pier, an anchored vessel that is occupied, or a restricted area as marked.

Special Activities Restrictions and Considerations:

Many states regulate certain water sports 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:

• Boaters (and PWC operators) engaged in towing a water skier or similar device must have a competent observer other than the boat operator observing the towed person(s). A PWC must be rated for at least for 3 people to accommodate the operator, observer and retrieved skier.
• When towing a person on water skis or similar device, the participant should wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard Type I, II, or III PFD. A ski belt, ski specific jacket or wetsuit will be accepted, but an approved Coast Guard PDF is recommended.
• Towing activities must take place during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset) only and towing operations must travel in a counter clockwise direction except when retrieving a downed skier.
• Vessels engaged in waterskiing or similar towing activities, must carry and use a red or orange 12" square "skier down" flag anytime a skier or towing apparatus is in the water.
• Vessels engaged in scuba diving and snorkeling must display a red and white diver down flag visible from 100 yards away. Divers or snorkelers must remain within 100 feet of the flag. Other boats must keep a distance of 100 feet from 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.

Operating Under the Influence

State Boating Under the Influence (BUI) laws are becoming more stringent. As on the roadways, on-water enforcement officers may administer sobriety tests and conduct other chemical tests to determine level of sobriety.

In Colorado

• 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 0.10% or greater are considered boating under the influence (BUI).
• Additionally, if a boater appears to be impaired by any substance that results in unsafe operation, that person is considered to be boating under the influence (BUI).
• Colorado law prescribes fines and possible jail times for those who violate state BUI laws. Offenders may lose boating privileges.
• By operating your boat in the state of Colorado, you have consented to a chemical test for drug and alcohol level if requested by law enforcement personnel.

Officer Authority, Compliance & Assistance

Officers of the Colorado State Parks and any authorized peace officer or law enforcement officer has the authority to stop and/or inspect vessels to enforce Colorado and federal boating laws. The United States Coast Guard has enforcement authority on federally controlled waters.

Colorado State Parks officers the have the authority to stop and/or inspect vessels!

These officers also have the authority to terminate voyages, escort boaters ashore, or order boaters to the nearest moorage if an unsafe condition is found that cannot be corrected on the spot.

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

Accident report forms are available from Colorado State Parks. Completed forms must be submitted to:

Law Enforcement Unit
Colorado State Parks
13787 South Highway 85
Littleton, CO 80125

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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