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Required Equipment for Georgia Boaters
 
 
Safe Boat Operation begins by making sure your boat and required equipment are together and in good working order before you get out on the water. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadron will provide a free boat safety check for any recreational boat.

Members from either team are available to verify all safety equipment is on board and in good working condition. You can qualify for a safety decal if you meet certain additional requirements. Be sure to visit the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary website for additional details.



Georgia's minimum requirements for specific equipment and documents to carry on board while the vessel is in use include:

 

Your Georgia Boater's Certificate / Card (Only for boaters between the ages of 12 and 16 years old)

Certificate of Registration Number (To deter theft, don't leave it on the boat)

Personal Flotation Devices: Coast Guard approved Type I, II and III in appropriate sizes for all on board.

PFDs Type IV - Cushions & Life Ring Buoys are required to be aboard boats longer than 15' 11".

PFDs Type V - Inflatable life jackets are not for use by children or Personal Watercraft riders.

Ignition Safety Switch must be installed on all PWCs

Type B-1 Fire Extinguisher for boats less than 26' long. (Requirements differ for boats over 25' 11”)

Flame Arrestor on each carburetor (For gas-powered motors excluding outboards)

Ventilation System – at least 2 ventilation ducts fitted with cowls must be properly installed

Muffler – all engines must have a working muffler. (Boat noise must not prevent sound signals from being heard)

Horn, Whistle Or Bell – For vessels over 39 ft. Sound must be audible at 4 - 6 secong intervals for up to 1 ½ miles.

Daytime Visual Distress Signals for boats over 15' 11”. (Pyrotechnic devices and an orange flag)

Diver Down Flags (Boaters must not get within 100 feet of a Diver Down flag)

Night Time Visual Distress Signals when in federally controlled waters.(Flares, meteors, electric lights)

Navigation Lights (Required to be used from sunset to sunrise and in low visibility)

Personal Flotation devices (PFDs)

Enough can not be said about the importance of wearing life jackets. Most boating fatalities are the result of victims not wearing a life jacket. Federal law requires every boat to be equipped with an adequate supply of good quality Coast Guard approved Life Jackets available in sizes that fit every passenger and crew member properly.

Georgia's Life Jacket regulations are state-specific regarding when, where and who is required by law to wear a Life Jacket.

  • All children under 10 years old must wear a life jacket while in the open portion of a moving boat on Georgia waters.
  • Anyone being towed on skis, a tube, wake board or the like.
  • Anyone riding on a Personal Watercraft (PWC) and
  • Everyone aboard when boating within 800 feet below a hydro-electric dam and/or navigational lock and dam.

In addition to abiding the law, PFDs should ALWAYS be worn by:

  • Children of all ages
  • Windsurfers
  • Everyone on the boat during rough weather
  • Everyone on the boat during heavy water traffic
  • Anyone who cannot swim
  • You! when you're boating alone

Resources for this web page include:
Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Georgia DNR Boating website
Georgia Boating Education