State Law vs. Federal Law

Registration and Titling Requirements:

To legally operate any motorboat or a sailboat 12 feet or longer on the waters of Oregon, it must be titled and registered with the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) and display current validation decals. Motorboats include any type of boat (e.g. personal watercraft, canoe, inflatable, rowboat) with any type of motor (e.g. gasoline, diesel, electric). The following vessels are exempt from registration:

• Certain public boats
• Foreign boats
• Boats registered in other states using Oregon waters for 60 days or less
• Ship’s life boats used solely for life saving purposes
• Commercial boats documented by the U.S. Coast Guard

A title is required before an Oregon certificate of number (i.e. registration) can be issued. To title and register a boat and receive the Certificate of Number and Validation Decals, you must complete and sign an OSMB Application for Title. You must then present it to the State Marine Board office in Salem or to an authorized boat registration agent along with the appropriate fees and proof of ownership.

Once in receipt of the application and required fees, you will be issued an Oregon 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 set of Validation Decals. The boat registration and validation decals are valid for 2 years and will always expire on December 31st of the year indicated.

You must display your validation decals and registration numbers (beginning with OR) 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 no greater than ¾” to separate letter and numbers. The validation decals must be affixed within 3 inches aft and inline with the registration numbers.

Click here to see an enlargement of this image depicting the proper placement for your Oregon registration number and decals.

Laws for Required Wearing of PFDs :

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

Additional Equipment Requirements:

In addition to federally required boating safety equipment, some states may require additional safety gear to be carried aboard certain boats on certain bodies of water. Check the Oregon Boaters Handbook before heading out for specifics. Although not required, the Oregon Marine Boards asks you to consider carrying the following additional safety items:

Recommended Additional Safety Equipment!

• Compass and charts
• Marine VHF radio
• Cell phone
• Anchoring equipment
• Bailing device and bucket
• Bilge pumps and pads
• Spare parts & tools
• Extra starting battery
• Oars or paddles
• Extra lines & fenders
• Flashlight

Mufflers and Noise Levels:

An effective muffling system of every internal combustion engine is required to control the exhaust sound level. Specifically, it is illegal to exceed:

• 90 decibels db(A) if boat was manufactured before January 1, 1993.
• 88 decibels db(A) if boat was manufactured after January 1, 1993.


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 use 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 Oregon unless greater than 3 miles offshore in ocean waters.

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 raw sewage, oil or garbage into any Oregon 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:

• Oregon has a mandatory education law for individuals of a certain age wishing to operate powerboats greater than 10 horsepower (hp). This mandatory education is being phased in based on age of operator (see below). Those required to participate in mandatory education must carry their boating education card with them while operating a powerboat.
• The Oregon State Marine Board approves many classroom and internet courses. The BoatU.S. Online Safety Course is an approved course. After completing an approved boating safety course you must then apply for a life-time card (no renewal necessary) issued by the Oregon State Marine Board. A one-time application fee of $10 is required. For more information, visit: www.boatoregon.com.

Mandatory Education for Oregon Boaters:


• Powerboat operators 50 years of age and younger are now required to carry a boater education card while boating. In 2007, this law applies to boaters 60 and younger. In 2008 this applies to boaters 70 and younger. And by 2009, all boaters will be required to take an approved boating safety course and carry their boater education card when operating a powerboat.
• You must be at least 12 years old to operate a powerboat in Oregon. Youth 12-15 need a boater education card to operate powerboats 1-10hp alone. When operating boats greater than 10 hp, youth must be supervised by a card-holding adult age 16 or older. When operating a PWC, the supervisor must be 18 or older. In all cases where an adult is supervising a youth, that adult must possess a boater education card as well.
• Oregon prohibits the operation of personal watercraft by persons under the age of 16 unless accompanied by a boater education card-holding person 18 or older. Persons 16 and older may operate a PWC unaccompanied, provided they possess a boating education card. Oregon prohibits the rental of a PWC to persons under 18.

Reckless & Negligent Operation:

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

Some activities considered careless, negligent or unsafe operation in Oregon:

• Speeding in no-wake zones, boating in areas marked as restricted, or creating a wake that endangers persons or property.
• Operating at greater than no-wake speed within 200 feet of a boat launch, moorage area or marina.
• Operating your vessel so that it causes you to jump the wake of another vessel.
• Weaving through congested waterways and other boat traffic or failure to follow navigation rules.
• Operating your ski boat in a reckless manner such as pulling a skier through an area where swimmers are present in spite of the boat exclusion buoys, or failure to have a proper lookout.
• 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.
• Sitting on the bow, gunwales or the transom of a motorboat at a speed exceeding 5 miles an hour, unless the boat has adequate guards and railings.

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 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 and 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 sports activities such as waterskiing, diving and hunting from a vessel. For your safety, and that of others who may be in the water, you should learn and abide by these special laws. For example:

Special Activities, Restrictions & Requirements:

• Skiing and towing activities must take place only during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).
• Vessels engaged in waterskiing or similar activity must carry and use a red or orange 12" square "skier down" flag anytime a skier is in the water.
• Vessels engaged in diving activity and are restricted in their ability to maneuver, must hoist a blue and white alfa flag.
• For Homeland Security reasons, report suspicious activities to your local law enforcement and avoid stopping or anchoring beneath bridges or in a channel.
• Teak surfing (a.k.a. platform dragging) is banned in Oregon and is associated with carbon monoxide poisoning from the boat's exhaust. Participants can be overcome by these exhaust fumes and go unconscious which could lead to drowning.

Operating Under the Influence

Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants (BUII) 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 Oregon:

• No person shall operate any vessel, personal watercraft, water skis or similar device while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Boaters that have blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or greater are considered boating under the influence of intoxicants (BUII).
• By operating your boat in the state of Oregon, you have consented to and must submit to evidentiary testing for drug and alcohol use if requested by law enforcement personnel.
• Boaters convicted of BUII face a year of jail time and/or fines up to $6,250, loss of operating privileges for one year, boat registrations suspended for up to three years, and they must complete a boating safety course.

Officer Authority, Compliance & Assistance

Oregon State Police and county sheriffs providing marine patrols have the authority to stop, halt or inspect vessels to enforce Oregon boating laws. Additionally, the United States Coast Guard has enforcement authority on federally controlled waters.

Oregon State Police and county sheriffs have the authority to stop, halt 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 using their siren and/or flashing blue lights. 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 the operator, passengers or vessel.
• You should always be prepared to exchange information such as name, address, phone numbers and boat registration numbers with other parties involved and/or law enforcement personnel.
• A Boating Accident Report must be filed with the State Marine Board when:
  • Any boating accident involves death or the disappearance of a person, or involves personal injury that requires medical treatment.
  • Damage to property is in excess of $2000.

An Accident Report must be filed within 48 hours of the accident in cases involving death, disappearance, or injury, and within 10 days in accidents involving only property damage. Accident Report Forms are supplied by the Oregon State Marine Board or your county sheriff's office. You may also find the form at www.boatoregon.com/library .

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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