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BOATING RULES & REGULATIONS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certicate of Title .................................................................................................................. 3
Certicate of Number .......................................................................................................... 4
Registration .......................................................................................................................... 5
Registration Fees ........................................................................................................... 6 - 7
Boat registration fee ............................................................................................................ 7
Washington PFD Requirements .......................................................................................... 8
Child PFD Law .................................................................................................................... 8
Coldwater Immersion in Washington .......................................................................... 9 - 10
Accident Reporting in Washington .................................................................................... 11
Tsunami Emergencies ....................................................................................................... 12
How to Prepare for a Tsunami ....................................................................................... 13
Vessel Trafc Systems and Shipping Lanes ............................................................. 14 - 16
Hours of Operation ............................................................................................................ 17
Age restrictions in washington ........................................................................................ 17
PWC Laws and Regulations ..................................................................................... 18 - 19
Age Restrictions ................................................................................................................. 20
Towed Water Sports in Washington .......................................................................... 21 - 22
Diving and Snorkeling in Washington ............................................................................... 23
Aquatic Nuissance Species ....................................................................................... 24 - 25
Invasive Sea Squirts............................................................................................................ 27
Extra Attention Required ................................................................................................... 28
Invasive Plants and Animals .................................................................................. 28 - 29
Washington MSD Regukations ......................................................................................... 30
Mandatory Boating Safety Education Program in Washington .............................. 31 - 32
Continuing Education ....................................................................................................... 32
Boating Safety Education and Renting ............................................................................ 32
No Wake ............................................................................................................................ 33
Slacken Speed .................................................................................................................. 34
Mufers and Noise Levels ............................................................................................... 35
Unsafe Practices ........................................................................................................ 36 - 38
Laws on Negligent and Reckless Operation ................................................................... 38
Law Enforcement in Washington ..................................................................................... 39
Serious Penalties .................................................................................................... 40 - 42
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CERTIFICATE OF TITLE
All vessels requiring registration in the state of Washington must also
be titled. A boat title may be obtained by contacting the Washington
Department of Licensing.
NOTE On the reverse side of the Certicate of Title there is an
application for the transfer of ownership.
OWNERSHIP
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CERTIFICATE OF NUMBER
Boat owners must have at least a temporary Registration card before
they can operate in state waters. Upon receipt of the Registration Card
please note the following:
• It must be signed and carried onboard when operating the vessel.
• The Department of Licensing must be notied within 15 days if the
boater changes residences.
• The Department of Licensing must also be notied within 15 days
if the vessel is either destroyed, lost, stolen or abandoned.
• The Washington registration period is from July 1 through June 30
each year.
• Washington registration and decals are valid for 1 year.
REGISTRATION
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REGISTRATION
The Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission is responsible for
regulating the state boating laws of Washington State.
All vessels propelled by machinery, including gasoline, diesel and electric
motors, and principally operated on Washington State waters must be
registered and issued a Washington Registration Card and Number by
the state, which can be obtained through the ofce of vehicle licensing
or Auditor in the boat owner’s county. Exceptions for the boat registration
requirements include:
• Non-motorized vessels including sailboats under 16 feet in length.
• Vessels currently registered in another state or country using
Washington waters for up to 60 consecutive days.
• Vessels measuring less than 16 feet in length propelled by a motor
that is no greater than 10 horsepower operated exclusively on
non-federal waters.
REGISTRATION
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REGISTRATION FEES
Successful registration results in a registration card along with a
registration decal for each side of the vessel. Physical boat numbers
must be purchased separately. Boat numbers must:
• Be afxed on both sides of the bow;
• Be block letters, three inches high and contrasting with the color
of your boat;
• Letters must be separated from the numbers by a space
or a hyphen;
• Read from left to right.
For example: WN 1234 BX or WN-1234-BX. This is a federal and state
requirement.
The decal which is provided to you by the state must be displayed aft of
the registration numbers on both sides of the vessel. Lack of the correct
documentation will result in delays and nes.
WA 1234 BX
SPACES OR
HYPHENS
SPACES OR
HYPHENS
STARBOARD PORT
WA 1234 BX
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BOAT REGISTRATION FEES
Vessel owners may submit registration or title applications as well
as fees by mail to the following:
Department of Licensing
Vessel Licensing
P.O. Box 9909
Olympia, WA 98507-8500
More information with regards to registration and titling applications
may also be obtained by contacting your local county auditor or the
Department of Licensing at 1-360-902-3770.
Description Fee Other applicabl fees
Annual vessel
registration fee
$20.25 Subagent fee (if ling at any
licensing ofce except a
county
auditor): $4
Vessel excise tax: 0.5% of taxable value of vessel
($5 minimum )
Make sure all boats are properly marked and documented. It’s important
to keep your papers with the boat – be particularly aware when
transferring ownership of your vessel.
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WASHINGTON PFD REQUIREMENTS
Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
Washington State requires at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved Type
IV PFD (ring buoy OR seat cushion) on all recreational boats in excess
of 16 feet in length, in ADDITION to the wearable PFD required for each
person onboard.
Exceptions to the requirement for carrying a Type IV PFD include
the following:
• Personal Watercraft
• Canoes and kayaks
All persons being towed behind a vessel are considered to be onboard.
All PWC occupants must be wearing their PFD while underway.
Child PFD Law
All boaters or passengers 12 years of age and under must be wearing
a PFD while onboard a vessel that is less than 19 feet in length
while underway.
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COLDWATER IMMERSION IN WASHINGTON
Even in Eastern Washington, which has higher temperatures than
Western Washington in the summer, average water temperature in
the hottest areas is about 70 degrees. The average water temperature
throughout most of Washington is 50 degrees throughout the year. It
is always a good idea to be wearing a proper life jacket. Washington’s
waters are cold and you never know when you could nd yourself in the
water. Over the past six years, nearly two thirds of the fatalities on the
water involved immersion in cold water which contributed to the death.
Initial Reaction: If you fall in cold water - your body’s initial reaction
is a ‘gasp reex’. This initial reaction can result in swallowed water. If
operating in cold water, ensure your PFD has enough freeboard to keep
you high in the water and reduce the possibility of face immersions.
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Short-Term Immersion: If you do end up in the water, particularly in cold
water, it is most important to nd a way to get your body out of the water
as soon as possible. In cold water, you may only retain the motor skills
to swim for between 10 and 30 minutes. In cold water immersion cases,
boaters drown as a result of swimming failure rather than hypothermia.
• Slow down, stop if possible, and throw something buoyant to assist
the person overboard (this will also help to briey mark the spot if
the person overboard submerges)
• Assign one person to keep sight of the overboard person and have
him/her continuously point to the victim’s location
• Carefully maneuver to recover the overboard person - keep them
on the operator side of the boat for powerboats
Establish contact with the victim using a buoyant heaving line or lifebuoy
secured to the boat with a line, and recover the person. Be sure to turn
off the prop - if retrieving from the stern. A heavy rope, chain or cable
secured at both ends and draped over the side, almost touching the
water, can provide a makeshift step if no boarding ladder is available.
Learn a recovery technique that works - and PRACTICE!
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ACCIDENT REPORTING IN WASHINGTON
In Washington, operators must report any accident involving;
• $2000 or more in damages;
• Injuries requiring medical attention;
• The death or disappearance of any person.
When an accident occurs that requires a written report, the operator
shall, without delay, by the quickest means available, notify the
Washington State Agency with jurisdiction of the accident on an accident
report form:
• Within 48 hours of an accident resulting in death/disappearance
or injury;
• Within 10 days of an accident causing property/equipment
damage only.
When the operator of a vessel cannot give the notice required by the
foregoing, each person, onboard the vessel shall notify the Washington
State agency with jurisdiction or a member of its law-enforcement team,
or determine that the notice has been given.
Download the Washington Accident Report Form at:
http://www.parks.wa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2213
ACCIDENT REPORT
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TSUNAMI EMERGENCIES
Washington State is on the Pacic rim of re which is the main generator
of seismic events that can create tsunamis. Washington has had
tsunamis in the past and can expect more tsunamis in the future. It is
important for boaters in coastal areas including Puget Sound to know
what to do if they are on their boat when a tsunami may strike.
A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that are caused by disturbances
in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, explosions,
landslides and meteorite impacts can all cause tsunamis. Tsunamis are
unpredictable events. While tsunamis can occur in any ocean, most
occur in the ring of re areas from South America to Indonesia.
Not all tsunamis are caused by far away events. Local geologic events
can cause earthquakes too. The Cascadia subduction zone is known to
have caused tsunamis in the past and scientists assume that there will
be another tsunami caused by slippage in the Pacic Northwest portion
of this zone.
Tsunamis are capable of ooding areas hundreds of feet inland past the
normal high tide line. The water moves at three to six hundred mph and
can crush almost anything in its path.
Fact: Not all major earthquakes result in a tsunami.
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HOW TO PREPARE FOR A TSUNAMI
Tsunamis cause rapid changes in the water including water levels and
unpredictable currents especially in harbors and entrance channels.
Tsunamis move very quickly, several hundred miles per hour, and if an
earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone is severe, there will be
little time available to get to high ground. You should have an evacuation
plan including what to do with your boat and belongings and if there is
time, you should have planned what you will take off your boat if you
cannot move the boat itself.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
• If you receive a tsunami warning that allows you time to take care
of your boat, move your already trailered boat to an area outside the
evacuation zone.
• If you do not have time to get your boat out of the harbor in time then
your best strategy is to leave your boat. (You will want to take along
your insurance and ownership papers as you evacuate if possible).
• If in deep water (600 feet to 1,200 feet or greater) you should stay at
sea. If time allows you can take your boat into deeper water (at least
1,200 feet deep) that is not in a harbor or at the entrance to
a channel.
• If the body of water is either in the Puget Sound or the Lower
Columbia River, you should anticipate heavy shipping trafc heading
seaward by large ships. You may not be able to get your boat out of
the harbor in time and your best strategy is to leave the boat. (You
will want to take along your insurance and ownership papers as you
evacuate if possible.)
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VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEMS
AND SHIPPING LANES
Every year commercial ships and recreational boats occupy the same
waters. Both Portland and Seattle are major shipping ports on the West
Coast. Recreational boaters need to understand how shipping channels
and the vessel trafc system work so they may avoid uncomfortable and
occasionally fatal contact with the ships in these channels.
Puget Sound has a Vessel Trafc System (VTS) run by the US Coast
Guard that oversees the shipping lanes through the Strait of Juan De
Fuca and into Seattle. The Columbia River has shipping lanes but no
vessel trafc system. Boaters in both of these locations need to watch
out for large ships and take appropriate measures to avoid these ships.
The following should be kept in mind when operating in such waters:
• Shipping lanes in an area are identied on nautical charts.
• Give commercial shipping trafc lanes as wide a margin as you can,
and avoid if at all necessary.
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• Commercial trafc always has the right of way.
• If you need to cross a shipping lane, do so at a 90 degree angle,
or in such a way that will be most practical to the prevailing trafc.
• Always go astern of deep-draft trafc
• Watch for ships under tow in the shipping lanes.
• Never cross ahead of a tug or between a tug and its tow.
• At night, know the light pattern that signies a ship is either being
towed or is towing another vessel like a barge.
• Know how far it takes a large ship to stop. Ships don’t have brakes
and it can take up to two miles to stop a large ship.
• Know the approximate view from a ship bridge and how small
recreational vessels are often not seen.
• Know that in commercial ships in shipping lanes have right of way
regardless of the type of your recreational vessel.
• A sailing vessel is dened by law as motor vessel if it is tted with an
engine; the engine need not be engaged or idling.
• When the “rules of the road” refer to a “shing vessel” the denition
is exclusive for commercial shing only and does not include charter
shing vessels.
• Never anchor in the shipping lanes for any reason.
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• Know how to contact the ships bridge when necessary
to communicate your position in relationship to the ship.
• Avoid using a cell phone for a distress call; VHF-FM radio is
monitored by nearby vessels who can assist.
• When trying to contact commercial vessels in Puget Sound, the
ofcer on the bridge will be standing by on channel 14/5A or 13, the
frequency VTS uses. Note that they are not obligated to stand by
channel.
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HOURS OF OPERATION
AGE RESTRICTIONS IN WASHINGTON
Personal watercraft may not be operated during hours
of darkness (sunset to sunrise).
PWC operators in the state of Washington must be at least fourteen (14)
years of age.
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PWC LAWS AND REGULATIONS
In addition to the laws that apply to all vessels, there are additional laws
that apply specically to personal watercraft. Do not underestimate
PWCs – they are very powerful for their small size and demand the same
respect as any boat. In fact, PWC operation must adhere to the same
rules and regulations as any other powerboat – including registration
with the state and a B-1 class re extinguisher aboard. Plus PWCs have
some additional requirements:
• The operator as well as all passengers on a PWC must be wearing
an inherently buoyant U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II,
or III PFD.
• When towing someone on a tube or on water skis, there must be
capacity on the PWC to accommodate the operator, the observer
as well as the tuber/skier(s).
• PWCs must stay at a distance of 200ft from other water skiers
or others being towed behind a vessel.
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• PWCs must operate at slow-no wake speed, maximum 5 mph
limit when:
• Within 200ft of a swimmer, surfer, diving ag, bank or wading
angler, dock, swim oat, boat launch, ramp, pier, marina,
• oating home, moorage area, or boathouse;
• Within 100ft of any anchored or non-motorized vessel; or
• Within 200ft of shoreline on all lakes, reservoirs, and bays.
• PWC operators in Washington State must not exceed 10mph
when approaching within 100ft of a motorized or sailing vessel
that is underway.
• A person shall not operate a PWC in a reckless manner including
weaving through congested trafc, recklessly jumping the wake
of another boat unreasonably or unnecessarily close to the boat,
or when visibility around the boat is obstructed. A person shall not
recklessly swerve at the last possible moment to avoid a collision
i.e. ‘spraying’ another boater.
• A person shall not lease, hire or rent a personal watercraft
to a person under the age of sixteen.
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AGE RESTRICTIONS
No person under the age of 12 can operate a motorized vessel of 15
horsepower or greater.
Similarly, no person under the age of 14 may operate a personal
watercraft (PWC). In addition in order to rent a PWC a person must be
at least 16 years of age.
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• Any person towed behind a boat in a water skiing activity such as
water skiing, knee boarding, or tubing, or when a passenger of the
boat is pulled behind a boat is by denition involved in the activity
of water skiing.
• All persons, regardless of age, must be wearing a Type I, II, III or V
U.S. Coast Guard approved personal otation device (PFD) while
water skiing.
• Note: Not all PFDs are suitable for use when waterskiing; check
the PFD label to be sure it is approved for high speed impact.
• Three people are required to engage in waterskiing: the vessel
operator, an observer and the skier. The observer and the operator
cannot be the same person.
• A “skier down” ag must be displayed while the skier prepares to ski
and after a skier falls in the water.
• The skier down ag must be bright red or brilliant orange, at least 12”
square, and mounted on a pole at least 24” in length.
TOWED WATER SPORTS IN WASHINGTON
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• The observer must be physically and mentally capable
of performing/meeting the following requirements:
• Continuously observer skier or skiers,
• Inform the operator of the boat that is towing the skier
or skiers when they are no longer being towed,
• Raise the skier-down ag when a person is in the water
preparing to ski or returning to the ski boat.
• Waterskiing from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise
is not permitted.
• Use sunset/sunrise times printed in local newspapers.
• The operator of the boat may not manipulate or control the boat
so as to cause the person(s) being towed to collide with any object
or person with the exception of persons engaged in competitive or
recreational skiing with regards to jump buoys and similar devices.
• Similarly willful or wanton actions by a skier that would endanger
a person or property are considered reckless operation. Example:
cutting close to another boat, a dock, a person, or the shoreline.
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Particular care must be taken when boating in waters where there are
divers. A vessel engaged in diving must display a blue and white ag. A
red and white ag carried on a buoy is to be used to mark areas where
diving is in progress, although divers may stray from the boundaries of
the marked areas.
Be sure you know what the ‘diver down’ ags look like. If you see either
ag, keep well clear of the vessel and diving site, and move
at slow speed.
Washington law requires that operators keep at least 200 feet from the
vessel and diving site. Snorkelers and scuba divers alike are asked not
to do dive in areas already occupied by numerous boats. Diving should
not take place in narrow waterways, as such would restrict other vessels
from passing.
Divers can be on any body of water so be vigilant for ‘diver down’ ags.
DIVING AND SNORKELING IN WASHINGTON
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Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) are plants and animals that threaten
the aquatic environment which is important to boaters. ANS are also
called invasive species or non-native species.
Because ANS have no naturally occurring enemies that would keep
them in check, these plants or animals can out compete and feed on
native species. These species threaten the diversity or abundance of
native species, the economic, agricultural and recreational activities that
depend on our native species and water quality.
Of the species listed under the Endangered Species act, 42% are listed
as a result of the deliberate or accidental introduction of non-native
species into a new habitat.
AQUATIC NUISSANCE SPECIES
NY 123 BX
08
NY 1234 BX
NEW YORK
BOAT REGISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Washington State
BOATING RULES & REGULATIONS
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Both plants and animals are spread in a variety of ways: through
commercial shipping ballast water, introduction through aquarium water
disposed of incorrectly, through plants and animals from landscaping/
nurseries, introduction from hitchhiking on cargoes, and transported by
recreational boaters.
The introduction of non-native species into Washington’s waters is
a problem which affects everyone. Introducing non-native species
into Washington can upset the balance of the ecosystem, hurting the
environment. When transported into new waters, these organisms
proliferate, displacing native species, damage the water resource,
damage the sports and commercial sheries, damage Washington’s
large shellsh industry, pose a threat to industrial and public drinking
water supplies, can weaken and damage banks and levees by
burrowing into them, as well as prey on salmon and sturgeon eggs.
Always do a walk-around inspection after cleaning the prop area and
bottom of the hull at the launch area before leaving with your boat.
Where available, pressure washing the hull and motor parts exposed to
the water is advised. Note that some species especially zebra mussels
get into tight areas and may be over looked.
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YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF
NON-NATIVE SPECIES FROM ONE BODY OF WATER TO ANOTHER.
• Inspect your boat and remove aquatic plants or animals before you
leave any body of water.
• Flush raw-water cooling systems and clean sea strainers before
moving your boat from one body of water to another.
• Empty bait buckets and remove any plant fragments from bait
wells, shing gear, trailers, dive gear or props. Dispose of the plant
fragments on land, in a garbage receptacle.
• Drain water from your motor, live wells and bilge.
• Wash your boat before putting it into a new body of water
• Report any new infestation of non-native aquatic species to the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service.
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There are three species of invasive sea squirts present at various
Marina’s in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. This has become a real
as well as a critical issue. One animal is a colonial tunicate called
Didemnum; the other two are solitary tunicates that have taken over
certain areas to the exclusion of other species.
• The Didemnum infestations are currently in British Columbia in the
areas surrounding Okeover Inlet and Vancouver Island. The smallest
piece of the colony (a half inch square or less) can reproduce and
form a new colony.
• The second sea squirt is Styela clava, and has very heavy
infestations at Pleasant Harbor, Neah Bay, and Blaine. It tends to get
on docks, boats, aquaculture lines and cages. It is really nasty, and
reproduces rapidly. Anyone who spends more than a day or two in
those harbors needs to have their boats cleaned.
• The third species, Ciona saviginy, may be moved on boats - it is
present at Eagle Harbor and Des Moines marinas. We are seeing it
taking over geoduck beds on S. Hood Canal. We don’t know as yet
how much of the canal is infested, or how the tunicate got there.
Images of the tunicate/sea-squirt species mentioned above can
be viewed on the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website:
wdfw.wa.gov/ais/search.php?id=9
INVASIVE SEA SQUIRTS
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Watch for information at launch sites about any known nuisance species
currently found in the water body where you are boating, such as
spartina or milfoil. Before leaving the launch area, do a walk around
inspection to see that all visible remnants of plant and animal materials
are removed from your boat and trailer.
A general list of what is prohibited in Washington is to be found by visiting
the following link for the Department of Fish and Wildlife:
wdfw.wa.gov/ais/plants.html
INVASIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS
Invasive Plants
Some plants that threaten marine and freshwater habitats in Washington
include milfoil, purple loosestrife, hydrilla and spartina.
• For aquatic plants and weeds it only takes a small fragment of the
plant to begin a new population. If a boater leaves an area with
weeds on their boats those weeds could potentially carry a variety of
other species, including whirling disease pathogens, snails, and egg
clusters of other species. This is one of the many reasons why
the state has made it illegal to have weeds on boats on any public
road in Washington. For example, the Asian clam (corbicula) has
been spread from one site on the Snake River into virtually every
fresh water body in the state - it is everywhere, and in ever growing
densities. It was unknowingly spread by boaters and anglers over
the past 50 years or so.
Invasive Animals
Some animals that threaten marine and freshwater habitats in
Washington include European green crab, Chinese mitten crab, Zebra
mussels, New Zealand mud snails, sea squirts and Asian clams.
EXTRA ATTENTION REQUIRED
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• The largest concerns for boaters in Washington in fresh water
apart from aquatic weeds are New Zealand mud snails. The
Lower Columbia River and all the water bodies on the Long Beach
Peninsula are infested with the snails. These snails are so small and
easily transported on gear and in live wells as well as bait wells that
they are a huge problem. They are hermaphrodites so it only takes
one. Persons who take their boats into infested areas need to clean
them with very hot water (including bilges, bait and live wells) and
let them dry out for several days. If it is during the wet season they
should use a weak chlorine solution.
• There is still a very large concern about Zebra mussels. They have
made it into Montana, so persons who travel out of state into the
Missouri River, or down in the Oklahoma area (El Dorado Reservoir)
or east of the 100th Meridian should take great care to clean their
boats before putting them back into local waters.
To view images of the invasive plants and animals mentioned above, visit
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
wdfw.wa.gov/ais/species.html
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The discharge of any sewage from marine toilets is prohibited on
Washington’s freshwater lakes, impoundments, and reservoirs that are
not accessible by boat from the ocean.
The use of approved types of marine sanitation devices (MSDs) is
required on the Columbia River and on the navigable portions of all
coastal rivers. Discharge of untreated sewage is only permitted beyond
the three nautical mile ocean limit.
WASHINGTON MSD REGULATIONS
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Beginning on January 1, 2008 the state of Washington will be gradually
phasing in a Mandatory Boater Education requirement. It will be phased
in according to age, eventually requiring all vessel operators over the
age of 12 years on boats with 15 horsepower or greater, will be required
to have a Washington State issued Boater Education Card. This will
indicate that a boating safety education class or its equivalent has been
successfully completed by the card holder.
Persons who do not have a boater education card and are 12 years of
age or older may operate a vessel with more than 15 HP if accompanied
by and under the direct supervision of a responsible person 16 years of
age or older who has their boater education card.
By January 1, 2016, all boat operators meeting the requirements will
have an education card.
Mandatory boater safety education will be phased in as follows:
• January 1, 2008 - All boat operators twenty years old and younger;
• January 1, 2009 - All boat operators twenty-ve years old and younger;
• January 1, 2010 - All boat operators thirty years old and younger;
• January 1, 2011 - All boat operators thirty-ve years old and younger;
• January 1, 2012 - All boat operators forty years old and younger;
• January 1, 2013 - All boat operators fty years old and younger;
• January 1, 2014 - All boat operators sixty years old and younger;
• January 1, 2015 - All boat operators who are required to have a card
will be phased in.
Certain individuals will be exempt from meeting Washington’s Mandatory
Education requirement, for example: persons who have a vessel
operator’s license, or persons visiting Washington State.
MANDATORY BOATING SAFETY EDUCATION
PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON
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A complete list of exemptions is available on the Washington State Parks
website. http://www.parks.wa.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=95
All boat operators born before January 1, 1955 will not be required
to have a boat operator education card.
Persons who believe that they know the boating safety rules and do not
wish to take a course will have the option of taking an equivalency or
challenge examination to demonstrate their knowledge of boating safety.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Although Washington State has begun implementing a mandatory
boating safety education program, becoming a certied boater should
not be seen as the nal step in the process. Becoming a better and
safer boater is a continuous process. Boating safety requirements are
constantly being updated and expanded in order to make Washington’s
waterways a safe place for everyone. All boaters are expected to stay up
to date on any new requirements which may come about as well as all
existing ones. Boating safety is everyone’s responsibility, at all times.
BOATING SAFETY EDUCATION AND RENTING
Washington State’s mandatory Boater Education Card requirements
contain a provision for people who rent vessels. ALL PERSONS who
operate a motorized rental vessel of 15 HP or more are required to
review a Motor Vessel Rental Safety Checklist. There is no exemption
in the law if a person already has a mandatory boater education card;
this requirement applies to a person even if that person has a Boater
Education Card. Each person who operates a rented vessel must review
the checklist with the business providing the vessel.
A person must be at least 16 years of age must in order to rent a PWC.
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BOATING RULES & REGULATIONS
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“No wake” is dened as “The slowest possible speed required in order
to maintain steerage and headway.”
In Washington, it is unlawful to operate at greater than ‘no wake’ speed
when around gas docks, marinas, boat ramps, and people in the water
even if not marked by a regulatory marker.
You may be held responsible for damage caused by vessel wake
or wash resulting from negligent or careless operation of a vessel.
NO WAKE
ZONE
NO WAKE
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Operators in Washington should reduce speed to avoid endangering
persons or a person’s property from the effect of their vessel’s wake.
Reduce speed, to ‘no-wake’ speed, when approaching or passing
the following:
• Vessels underway, lying to, at anchor, or made fast to the shore
• Piers, Docks or Boathouses
• Someone in the water
• Someone involved in towed water sports
• Someone on a surfboard
Certain bodies of water in Washington may have local restrictions as
to type and size of vessel or motor horsepower, restricted use areas,
boat speed, and times for use. Check with the local authorities for these
additional restrictions.
SLACKEN SPEED
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In Washington, complaints from homeowners with property adjacent or
close to bodies of water used for recreational boating have led to a state
law requiring strict sound levels on boats.
All motor-propelled vessels shall be equipped with and maintained with
an effective mufer or underwater exhaust system that is in good working
order and in constant use.
No person may operate a boat on the waters of this state in a manner
to exceed a noise level of seventy-ve decibels measured from any
point on the shoreline of the body of water on which the vessel is being
operated.
When using a stationary testing procedure an effective mufer shall
not produce sound levels in excess of:
• 90 decibels for engines made before January 1, 1994: and,
• 88 decibels for engines made on or after January 1, 1994
MUFFLERS AND NOISE LEVELS
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BOATING RULES & REGULATIONS
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The following acts and maneuvers are considered dangerous
& illegal while boating in Washington:
• It is illegal to operate a boat in a manner that endangers or
would likely endanger a person or property and in willful
disregard of others. The following are a few examples:
• Endangering others or their property, by allowing the wake of
your vessel to potentially harm another or their property.
• Jumping the wake of a vessel unnecessarily close to another
vessel. No person operating a personal watercraft shall cross
or jump the wake of another vessel, when within sixty (60) feet
of the vessel, in such a manner that more than half of the hull
of the personal watercraft jumping the wake leaves the water.
• Failing to conform to boating signage such as posted speeds,
indicated restricted entry zones, diver down ags, etc. No
person shall operate a boat at a speed in excess of a Slow-No-
Wake in a posted no wake zone. No person may operate
a vessel at speeds greater than are reasonable or prudent
given the existing weather conditions, watercraft trafc or
persons in the water.
UNSAFE PRACTICES
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BOATING RULES & REGULATIONS
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• Operating at an unsafe speed. Boaters must always operate their
vessel at a safe speed as well as adhering to any indicated
speed limitations.
• Failure to maintain adequate distance. Boaters must maintain
the designated ‘slow-no-wake’ speed in the circumstances discussed
above as well as keeping their distance from water skiers or vessels
towing someone on another device.
• Exceeding maximum capacity. The recommended capacity
indicated on the boats’ capacity plate should not be exceeded.
Operation of a vessel loaded or powered in excess of the maximum
capacity affects the stability of the vessel and makes the chance of
a capsizing or fall overboard more likely.
• Not maintaining a lookout. All operators are required to keep
a constant lookout for other vessels, hazards and/or people
in the water.
• Not maintaining proper seating aboard your vessel. In ashington,
it is unlawful to allow any person to ride or sit on the bow, gunwale,
transom, or on the decking over the bow of the vessel while
underway unless such a vessel is provided with adequate guards
or railing to prevent passengers from falling overboard. Passengers
or other persons aboard a vessel may occupy these areas of the
vessel to moor or anchor the vessel, to cast off, or for any other
necessary purpose.
• Dangerous operation. Boaters must make sure that the vessel
is being operated in such a manner that its occupants or others
sharing the water are not in any danger. If an ofcer observes that
someone’s safety may be endangered, the operator may be forced to
head to the closest moorage. Examples of such operation could be:
operating without all the required equipment, operating the vessel
with more power than recommended, operating the vessel with a fuel
leak, or operating at night without lights.
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• Obstructing navigation. Boaters may not stop or anchor beneath
bridges or in a channel without leaving adequate room for boat
passage.
LAWS ON NEGLIGENT
AND RECKLESS OPERATION
Negligent Operation - A person shall not operate a vessel in a negligent
manner. Negligent operation of a vessel is inadvertent operation that
endangers another person or property, but is not intentional.
• Examples are operating a vessel in disregard of careful and prudent
operation and rates of speed such as in a “no wake” or “no boats”
zone, or other operation that disregards the existing conditions at
the time, such as other trafc, freedom from obstruction to the view
ahead, restrictions to the body of water, or the effects of boat wake.
Reckless Operation - It is also unlawful for any person to operate a
vessel in a reckless manner. Reckless operation of a vessel is deliberate
behavior that puts a person or property at risk.
• Examples would be repeated operation of a dangerous act such as
cutting closely near another person or boat or deliberately ignoring
a marked speed zone.
Speed limits and zoned or restricted areas are determined by local
ordinance. Become familiar with your local ordinances by talking with
your sheriff’s ofce marine patrol or with your local police department
marine patrol. Examples are no wake zones, danger zones, and speed
limit zones.
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39
If a law enforcement ofcer makes a request for a boater to stop their
vessel it is the boater’s responsibility to comply. Boaters are required
to respond to any law enforcement ofcer to stop his or her boat when
asked to do so by said ofcer. It is illegal to elude law enforcement ofcers.
An operator of a vessel is required to stop when requested or signaled
to do so by a person reasonably identiable as a law enforcement
ofcer. An operator of a vessel is required to immediately stop a vessel if
operating in a reckless manner and is attempting to elude a pursuing law
enforcement vessel after being given a visual or audible signal to stop
the vessel.
LAW ENFORCEMENT IN WASHINGTON
SLOW
DOWN
AND
STOP
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40
Boaters need to be aware that it is illegal to drink and operate a boat just
as it is to drink and drive a motor vehicle. Most of the laws pertaining to
the operation of a vessel under the inuence of drugs and alcohol apply
in the same way as they would for a car, truck or motorcycle on the road.
It shall be a violation for a person to operate a vessel while under the
inuence of intoxicating liquor or any drug. A person is considered to be
under the inuence of intoxicating liquor or drug if:
• The person has 0.08 grams or more of alcohol per two hundred ten
liters of breath, as shown by analysis of the person’s breath
• The person has 0.08% or more by weight of alcohol in the their blood
as shown by analysis of their blood
• The person is deemed to be under the inuence of or affected by
intoxicating liquor or any drug.
SERIOUS PENALTIES
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41
The penalties for boating under the inuence of intoxicating alcohol
or drugs include the following: If convicted of an offense:
• Imprisonment in a county jail for up to 90 days
• Fines of up to $1,000
The operator may also be subject to the payment of compensation
for any damages or injuries which may have occurred as a result of
the offense.
• Homicide by watercraft - When an individual involved in a boating
accident dies as a result of injuries incurred during that accident
within three years following the accident the operator of the vessel
implicated may be charged with homicide by watercraft if:
• They were found to be under the inuence of either alcohol
or drugs (or any combination of the two)
• They are determined to have acted in a reckless manner which
resulted in the accident
• Assault by Watercraft - When an individual involved in a boating
accident experiences serious bodily injury such as risk of death,
permanent disgurement, or loss of function of a part of the body
or organ the operator of the vessel implicated may be charged with
assault by watercraft if:
• They were found to be under the inuence of either alcohol or
drugs (or any combination of the two)
• They are determined to have acted in a reckless manner which
resulted in the accident
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BOATING RULES & REGULATIONS
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• Boaters are required to respond to any law enforcement ofcer’s
request to stop his or her boat when asked to do so by said ofcer.
It is illegal to elude law enforcement ofcers.
• Any new or used motor driven boat or vessel, other than open
motorboats with outboard engines and personal watercraft, sold
within Washington State must display a carbon monoxide warning
sticker on the interior of the vessel.
