State Law vs. Federal Law

Registration and Titling Requirements:

All vessels (unless listed below) powered by gasoline, diesel, electric motors, or sail must be registered and numbered in Kansas. Sailboards and personal watercraft (PWCs) are considered vessels. The following are exemptions from vessel registration:

• Vessels without any kind of motor or sail.
• A ship’s lifeboat.
• Vessels that are properly registered in another state and not remaining in Kansas waters more than 60 consecutive days.
• Vessels that are properly documented with the U.S. Coast Guard.

To register your vessel, you must submit the proper forms and fees to the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP). Once in receipt of required information and fees, you will be issued a boat registration. This must be kept aboard the boat or personal watercraft (PWC) at all times and must be readily available for inspection by law enforcement personnel.

Your boat registration and decals are valid for 3 years!

You will also receive a set of registration decals. You must display your registration decals and registration numbers (beginning with KA) on the forward top half of both sides of the bow, as high above the waterline as practical where it can be easily read by law enforcement officials. Letters and numbers must be at least 3" tall, read left to right, and must be a color that contrasts with the hull. The registration decals must be displayed to the left of and in line with the registration number.

Laws for Required Wearing of PFDs :

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

• Children12 years of age or younger must wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II, or III PFD while on board or being towed by a vessel. A life belt or ring will not satisfy this requirement.
• Every person on board a personal watercraft (PWC) or being towed behind a PWC must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II, III or V U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD.
• It is recommended that anyone towed behind a vessel wear a Coast Guard approved PFD.

Children 12 and under must wear a PFD when on board a boat!

Additional Equipment Requirements:

Beyond minimum federal equipment requirements, some states may have requirements that apply only to certain designated bodies of water. Please check with your local waterway authority before heading out. For example:

• On Kansas state waters, requirements for sound producing devices are:
• Every motorboat shall be provided with an efficient whistle or other sound-producing mechanical appliance.
• Every motorboat of class 3 (40 feet and over) shall be provided with an efficient bell.

• The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks also recommends the consideration of the following items depending on the length of your boat and where you do your boating:
• Compass and charts
• Visual distress signals
• Marine VHF radio/cell phone
• Anchoring equipment
• Bailing device
• Spare parts & tools
• Extra starting battery
• Oars or paddles
• Flashlight

Mufflers and Noise Levels:

Any boat operated on the waters of Kansas must be muffled to effectively reduce vessel noise. An effective muffling system is required for the exhaust of each internal combustion engine and the use of cut-outs is prohibited. Specifically, it is illegal to operate a boat that exceeds a noise level of 86 decibels when measured on the “A” scale at a distance of 50 feet or greater.

In general, you should 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 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 installed MSDs must be U.S. Coast Guard certified.
• All boats that have on-board toilets must have a method to collect and contain all waste products, preventing it from entering surrounding waters. Kansas law forbids the discharge of sewage or any waste derived from sewage, treated or untreated, into the fresh waters of Kansas.
• 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 therefore must be brought ashore for proper drainage.
• 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 5-by-8 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 4 inches by 9 inches and placed in a location where crew and passengers can read it.

Mandatory Education and Age Requirements:

Any person born on or after January 1, 1989 must complete an approved boater safety education course in order to operate a motorboat or sailboat on public waters in Kansas. This requirement does not apply to a person operating a motorboat or sailboat accompanied by and under the direct and audible supervision of a person over 17 years of age who either:

• possesses a certificate of completion of an approved boater safety education course, or
• is legally exempt from the requirement.

This requirement does not apply to anyone 21 years of age or older, regardless of their date of birth.

Out-of-state boaters who boat on Kansas waters must comply with these education requirements. All states provide a NASBLA standard that will also be acceptable in Kansas.

Reckless & Negligent Operations:

No person shall operate any vessel or manipulate water skis or similar towed devices in a reckless or negligent manner. The failure to exercise the degree of care necessary to prevent endangering life, limb, or property may be considered reckless, negligent or careless operation. Below are just a few of the prohibited methods of operation in Kansas.

Specifically, it is unlawful:

• To operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• To operate at greater than no-wake speed in any posted or no-wake zone.
• To operate such that you collide with another vessel, object or person.
• To operate a boat within an area clearly marked as a restricted or swimming area.
• To allow any person to sit or ride on the gunwales while underway.
• To weave through congested waterway traffic or fail to follow the navigation rules.
• To serve at the last possible moment in order to avoid a collision.
• To jump the wake of another vessel too close to the vessel which created the wake.
• To overload or overpower your vessel greater than is safe based on prevailing conditions.
• To operate your vessel within 200 feet of any marked swimming area.

A personal watercraft is also considered a Class “A” motorboat and must follow the same laws and regulations as above. However, there are additional laws that apply to personal watercraft (PWC). Specifically:

Boat and PWC Speed Limits:

Boat speed limits are regulated by law for certain areas and conditions. When no speed limit is posted you should operate your boat so that it will not endanger others or cause injury, damage, or unnecessary inconvenience. A safe speed means that you can always bring your vessel to a safe stop and always keep a proper lookout.

• You are responsible for your wake and you must not cause damage from the wake of your vessel.
• In Kansas, a "slow-no-wake" speed is that speed at which the boat does not create a wake, not to exceed 5 miles per hour.
• White buoys or signs with red or orange markings will indicate speed limits and no-wake zones.
• It is illegal to operate at greater than no-wake speed within 200 feet of a boat ramp, boat dock, boat storage, or waterfront concession facility.
• Certain bodies of water may have speed, horsepower and other engine restrictions. Be sure to check with your local waterway’s management before you go.

Special Activities Restrictions and Considerations:

Many states regulate certain other water-related activities such as waterskiing, diving or hunting. For your safety, and for those who may be in the water, you should abide by these special laws:

Special Activities, Restrictions & Requirements:

• Boaters engaged in waterskiing or a similar operation must have a wide angle mirror or observer that is at least 12 years of age to monitor the person being towed.
• Boaters engaged in waterskiing or a similar operation must not operate between one half hour after sunset and one half hour before sunrise.
• A person operating a tow vessel must carry and use a red or orange 12" square "skier down" flag anytime a skier is in the water.
• Boaters engaged in waterskiing or a similar operation must conduct themselves in a safe manner as to not cause a collision with another object, vessel, or person.
• A red and white diver’s flag that is 21 inches square must be displayed on a buoy near where divers, snorkelers, persons spearfishing, etc. are in the water. Divers must remain within 100 feet the flag and all vessels must stay 200 feet away from the flag.
• A blue and white alfa flag must be flown from a vessel that is engaged in diving operations and is restricted in its ability to maneuver.
• You must not use your vessel for a purpose other than hunting or fishing in areas marked as hunting or fishing areas. It is also illegal to chase wildlife with your vessel.

Operating Under the Influence

It is illegal to boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. State boating under the influence laws are becoming more stringent. As on the roadways, on-water enforcement officers may administer sobriety tests and/or conduct a chemical test to determine level of sobriety.

In Kansas, the following is considered illegal and dangerous operation:

• Operating with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater.
• Operating with a BAC of 0.02% or greater if the person is under 21 years of age
• Operating under the influence of any drug or controlled substance, or used in combination with alcohol, that renders the operator incapable of safe boat operation.

Anyone who operates a boat in Kansas waters is deemed to have given consent to an alcohol and/or drug test. Boating under the influence and can bring fines and/or jail time for those convicted.

Officer Authority, Compliance & Assistance

In Kansas, officers of the Department of Wildlife & Parks and other sworn peace officers, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard have the duty to provide for safety on the water and have the authority to stop and/or inspect vessels to enforce Kansas and federal boating laws.

Boat operators must immediately yield and reduce speed when being overtaken, approached or directed by a law enforcement official or halt progress as directed. When operating in an area of law enforcement activity, you should 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 the operator, passengers or vessel. Operators involved in an accident shall remain at the scene to the extent it is safe and practical, and exchange personal and boat information with authorities and other involved parties.

When a boating accident results in the death of a person or disappearance from a vessel, or injury requiring treatment beyond first aid, it must be reported to the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks within 48 hours. If an accident results in property damage only, and exceeds $2,000 in property damage, it must be reported within 5 days.

Accidents should be completed on an accident report form supplied by the Department.

Completed reports should be submitted to:
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
512 SE 25th Avenue
Pratt, Kansas 67124-8174

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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