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Life Jackets
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Every boat must have a wearable type life jacket for each
person on board
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A boat 16 feet or longer must also have at least one
throwable Type IV PFD on board.
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PFDs of all types must be in “good and serviceable
condition” and must be “readily accessible.” Locked in a storage compartment
doesn’t count here
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PFDs must be of the proper sizes for persons wearing them.
That means kid-size for children, not adult PFDs for the youngsters on
board.
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Children 12 and younger must wear a PFD on a boat whether it
is running or not.
Exceptions are inside a houseboat or inside rails on a party barge, cruiser
or houseboat if it is not underway.
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Everyone on a personal watercraft, sometimes called a jet
ski, must wear a PFD, and inflatable types don’t qualify here
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Everyone being towed on water skis or other device must wear
a PFD, and, again, inflatable types don’t qualify.
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All boats with motors over 50 horsepower and all personal
watercraft must have a minimum of $50,000 liability insurance before
operating on the waters of Arkansas.
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Proof of insurance is required in order to register a boat
or renew a registration.
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Operators must be at least 14 years old to operate a
personal watercraft without supervision. Persons 12 and 13 years old may
operate with someone at least 18 years on board. Persons under 12 must have
someone at least 21 years old on board in a position to take immediate
control of the personal watercraft.
Operators can not exceed 10 miles per hour within 100 feet of the rear of
another boat or personal watercraft and within 50 feet of either side of
another boat or personal watercraft.
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Operating at a greater than no-wake speed within 100 feet of
an anchored or moored vessel, shoreline, dock pier, swim float, marked swim
area, swimmer, surfer, person engaged in angling or any manually propelled
vessel is prohibited.
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Personal watercraft operators must have an observer 12
years of age or older to tow a skier. Mirrors are not allowed for skiing on
personal watercraft. Also the personal watercraft must be able to
accommodate the operator, observer and person being towed. Personal
watercraft must be designed for a minimum of three persons in order to tow
skiers.
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Personal watercraft cannot be operated from 30 minutes after
sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. Running lights do not exempt
personal watercraft from this.
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The personal watercraft operator is required to wear the
engine cut-off lanyard (kill switch) securely attached to his/her person,
clothing, or personal flotation device at all times while operating.
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Becoming airborne while jumping the wake of another vessel
while operating a personal watercraft, within 100 feet of that vessel, is
prohibited.
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No person who owns a personal watercraft or who has charge
over or control of a personal watercraft may authorize or knowingly permit
the personal watercraft to be operated in violation of the personal
watercraft law. This applies to a renter, too.
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Boat marinas must carry a minimum $500,000 in liability
coverage.
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Boat marinas are required to have renters view a
state-approved personal watercraft video prior to operating a personal
watercraft.
Registering and Insuring a Boat
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Boats propelled by sail or motor must be registered when
operated on public waters. Arkansas boat owners may register a boat at the
office of the county revenue agent in the county where the boat is
principally used or in their home county.
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Boats powered by over 50 hp motors must show proof of
$50,000 liability insurance when registering and it must be carried on board
at all times. An registration number will be assigned to each registered
boat. Out-of-state boats with valid registrations may be operated for up to
90 days without registering in Arkansas.
Boating Accidents
The operator of any boat involved in an accident is required to immediately:
1) Render assistance to other persons affected by the incident to save them or
minimize danger so far as he can without serious danger to his own boat, crew
and passengers
2) Give his name, address and identification of his boat in writing to any
person injured and to the owner of any property damaged in the incident
3) Notify the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission or the local Sheriff's office of
the accident so an officer can investigate the accident.
To report a boating accident, call 1-800-482-9262.
Officers will then be dispatched to the scene of the accident.
Accidents involving death, injury or property damage of $500 or
more must be reported.
Over half of boating fatalities are fishermen who fall out of small boats that
capsize from movement within the boat, overloading or hitting a submerged
object.
General Boating Regulations
Age Requirements
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1986 and of legal age to operate a motorboat,
must have successfully completed an approved Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Boating Education Course and carry proof while operating a motorboat on Arkansas
water.
The law also affects operators of sailboats.
Boat Capacity
Loading a vessel beyond its stated safe carrying capacity is illegal.
Cutoff Switch (Lanyard)
The boat operator is required to wear the engine cut-off lanyard (kill switch)
securely attached to the operator's clothing, or personal flotation device,
while the engine is
in use to propel the boat, if the boat is so equipped.
Exceptions:
If the motorboat equipped with a lanyard-type switch is a house boat, a pontoon
boat, or is traveling less than five (5) miles per hour, the lanyard shall not
be required to be attached to the operator's clothing, or to the operator's
personal flotation device.
This does not apply to flat bottomed boats operated on the tail waters of a
trout fishery, nor to flat bottomed boats operated for duck hunting purposes
during duck season.
Corps of Engineers Restrictions
No vessel may enter within 100 yards downstream of a Army Corps of Engineers
dam.
Operating a vessel in any manner contrary to signs, markers or buoys placed by
the Corps controlling speed, skiing or operation of vessels is prohibited.
Fire Extinguishers
Required of inboard boats, open boats with built-in fuel tanks and boats with
bilges
where flammable gases may accumulate.
Lights
Boats must be equipped with the prescribed lights during darkness.
On state controlled waters, light requirement for all boats are the same as
for non-powered boats on federal waters.
All boats must have a readily accessible light source to be used in sufficient
time to prevent a collision.
On federally-controlled waters, non-powered boats must have a readily accessible
light source to be used in sufficient time to prevent a collision.
Motorboats operating on federally-controlled waters must have a combination red
and green light on the bow and a white light aft.
Law
Enforcement
The boating laws of Arkansas are enforced by:
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AGFC enforcement officers ( Game Wardens)
Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs
State police officers,
Parks and Tourism enforcement officers,
Municipal police officers
U.S. Coast Guard
Officers have the authority to stop
and board
your vessel in order to check for compliance with state and
federal laws.
It is illegal to refuse to follow the directive of a person with law
enforcement authority.
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