Montana boating laws: life jackets, boater education and jet skis
What Montana law requires on the water, pulled from official sources and linked line by line: life jackets, boater education, jet skis, paddle craft and registration.
- Kids must wear a life jacket
- Under 12
- Boater education card
- Required (see who)
- Jet ski / PWC minimum age
- 15 to operate a PWC over 10 hp alone without a certificate …
- Emergency
- 911
Emergency on the water in Montana
On inland lakes and rivers, 911 reaches the people who respond there: county sheriff marine units, state conservation officers and local fire and rescue.
Emergency and non-emergency contacts in Montana
911 for emergencies on all waters.
How to call the Coast Guard: VHF 16 or 911 · Coast Guard phone numbers by region
Montana life jacket laws (and kids)
Children
Children under 12 must wear a life jacket on a boat less than 26 ft long that is in motion.
Source: fwp.mt.gov
Everyone else, towing and seasonal rules
Anyone towed (including wakeboarders) must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; no towing sunset to sunrise. Sailboard operators 14 and younger, or two or more people on one sailboard, must wear a life jacket. Inflatable life jackets count only when worn.
The federal baseline
Federal default: children under 13 must wear a USCG-approved life jacket on a recreational vessel that is underway, unless they’re below decks or in an enclosed cabin. Where a state has its own child-wear rule, the state rule applies on its waters (33 CFR 175.15(c), 175.25). Coast Guard required safety equipment →
Boater education card (the “Montana boating license”)
Most states don’t issue a boating license. What they require is a boater education card: proof you passed an approved boating safety course.
Who needs it
Youths aged 13 and 14 operating a motorboat or PWC over 10 hp without someone 18+ aboard. Children 12 and under may not operate a motorboat or PWC over 10 hp unless accompanied by someone 18+. No requirement for adults.
The card
Montana Motorboat Operator's Certificate (free FWP home-study or online course, age 13+)
Source: fwp.mt.gov
Montana jet ski (PWC) laws
Minimum age
15 to operate a PWC over 10 hp alone without a certificate; 13-14 with a Motorboat Operator's Certificate or an adult 18+ aboard; 12 and under only with someone 18+; must be 18 to rent
Rules on the water
All operators and riders must wear a USCG-approved life jacket; attach the engine cut-off lanyard to wrist or life jacket; no-wake speed within 200 ft of a dock, swimmer, swim raft, non-motorized boat or anchored vessel; no crossing or jumping another boat's wake within 100 yards; no weaving through traffic or buzzing others.
Source: fwp.mt.gov
Kayak, canoe, paddle board and kite rules
Stand-up paddleboards are vessels outside designated swim areas and must carry required safety equipment, including a life jacket. Sailboard operators 14 and under must wear a life jacket. No kiteboarding-specific rule found.
Boat registration in Montana
All motorboats and PWC, and sailboats 12 ft and longer, must be registered at the County Treasurer. Exempt: non-motorized sailboats under 12 ft and manually propelled boats of any length, lifeboats, and out-of-state boats in Montana 90 days or less. Validation stickers are no longer required (2025). Non-resident motorized ($30) and non-motorized ($10) boats need a Vessel AIS Prevention Pass, and all watercraft must stop at open AIS inspection stations.
Popular boating waters in Montana
- Flathead Lake
- Fort Peck Lake
- Canyon Ferry Lake
- Lake Koocanusa
- Whitefish Lake
- Holter Lake
- Missouri River
- Bighorn Lake
Some of the waters Montana boaters know best. This is our list, not an official one, and it isn’t complete.
VesselSOS on Montana waters
- Life in danger? One tap dials 911. The screen shows your GPS position and a word-for-word script: say “Boat emergency, I’m on the water” and the name of the lake, river or bay you’re on.
- A live link for family ashore (Plus, free during the beta): your position, speed, course and phone battery in any browser, no app needed on their end. You send it by text yourself.
- Not an emergency? The tow screen has Call buttons for the TowBoatUS and Sea Tow 24-hour dispatch lines, or your own member number.
What it doesn’t do: it doesn’t call the Coast Guard for you and isn’t connected to 911 or any rescue system. Nobody is alerted automatically if you’re late. The return-time check only asks “Are you OK?” on your own phone. It doesn’t replace a VHF radio, a PLB or EPIRB, or the life jackets the law requires.
iPhone only, in invite-only TestFlight beta. Not in the App Store yet, no Android. US support (911 routing, American English) is in beta version 1.4 and later.
Quick answers
What is the Montana life jacket law for kids?
Children under 12 must wear a life jacket on a boat less than 26 ft long that is in motion.
Do you need a boating license in Montana?
Youths aged 13 and 14 operating a motorboat or PWC over 10 hp without someone 18+ aboard. Children 12 and under may not operate a motorboat or PWC over 10 hp unless accompanied by someone 18+. No requirement for adults.
How old do you have to be to drive a jet ski in Montana?
15 to operate a PWC over 10 hp alone without a certificate; 13-14 with a Motorboat Operator's Certificate or an adult 18+ aboard; 12 and under only with someone 18+; must be 18 to rent.
Do you have to register a boat in Montana?
All motorboats and PWC, and sailboats 12 ft and longer, must be registered at the County Treasurer. Exempt: non-motorized sailboats under 12 ft and manually propelled boats of any length, lifeboats, and out-of-state boats in Montana 90 days or less. Validation stickers are no longer required (2025). Non-resident motorized ($30) and non-motorized ($10) boats need a Vessel AIS Prevention Pass, and all watercraft must stop at open AIS inspection stations.
Sources
State boating agency: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP)
- https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/fish/regulations/2025-boating-laws-final-for-print.pdf
- https://fwp.mt.gov/activities/boating/rules-regulations
- https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2025/may/0528-boating-law
- https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/aquatic-invasive-species/out-of-state-watercraft
Checked October 2026. Laws change; confirm with Montana FWP before you go.
This page summarizes the law for planning; it isn’t legal advice. Where this page and the official text differ, the official text wins. Spotted an error? Email support@vesselsos.com.