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Your Illinois Boater's Certificate / Card (Only for boaters aged 12 – 17 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 only 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 – Must be audible for ½ to 1 ½ miles depending on the size of your boat.
Daytime Visual Distress Signals for boats over 26' 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 (Flares, meteors, electric lights)
Navigation Lights (Required on powered vessels under 22' 1” if HP is greater than 15 and on non-powered boats greater than 22' long. Lights are to be used from sunset to sunrise and in low visibility)
A Copy of the USCG Federal Navigation Rules (Required aboard boats 26' and longer – especially when boating on waters of concurrent jurisdiction, where vessels must observe federal equipment requirements. These waters include Lake Michigan and the portion of the Wabash River that forms a border between Indiana & Illinois.)
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.
Illinois's Life Jacket regulations are state-specific regarding when, where and who is required by law to wear a Life Jacket.
- All children under 13 years old must wear a life jacket while in the open portion of a boat on Illinois waters.
- Anyone being towed on skis, a tube, wake board or the like.
- Anyone riding on a Personal Watercraft (PWC) and
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! Especially when you're boating alone!
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