Wyoming boating laws: life jackets, boater education and jet skis
What Wyoming 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 13
- Boater education card
- Not required
- Jet ski / PWC minimum age
- 16 to operate alone …
- Emergency
- 911
Emergency on the water in Wyoming
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 Wyoming
911 for emergencies on all waters.
How to call the Coast Guard: VHF 16 or 911 · Coast Guard phone numbers by region
Wyoming life jacket laws (and kids)
Children
All children 12 and under must wear a USCG-approved life jacket at all times while underway, unless riding in an enclosed cabin.
Source: boat-ed.com
Everyone else, towing and seasonal rules
Anyone towed behind a vessel must wear a USCG-approved life jacket. All vessels must carry a wearable life jacket per person; boats 16 ft and over also need a throwable device.
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 “Wyoming 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
Not required in Wyoming. Under 16 may not operate any motorized vessel, including a PWC, unless a person 18+ responsible for the vessel is on board.
The card
None required (voluntary boater education card available)
Source: boat-ed.com
Wyoming jet ski (PWC) laws
Minimum age
16 to operate alone; under 16 only with a person 18+ on board
Rules on the water
Everyone on board must wear a USCG-approved life jacket at all times; attach the engine cut-off lanyard to your person, clothing or life jacket.
Source: boat-ed.com
Kayak, canoe, paddle board and kite rules
Paddleboards (solid or inflatable, any length) are exempt from the AIS decal. No statewide SUP or kiteboarding-specific rule found beyond federal life jacket carriage.
Boat registration in Wyoming
Motorized boats need a title, Certificate of Number and decals. Exempt: non-motorized sailboats, canoes, kayaks and rowboats; boats registered in another state or country on Wyoming waters under 90 consecutive days; US-government and USCG-documented vessels. All vessels, including PWC and non-motorized boats, must display a current annual Aquatic Invasive Species Program decal; exempt are inflatables 10 ft or less, all paddleboards (solid or inflatable) and water sport toys.
Popular boating waters in Wyoming
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir
- Jackson Lake
- Yellowstone Lake
- Boysen Reservoir
- Glendo Reservoir
- Fremont Lake
- Keyhole Reservoir
- Seminoe Reservoir
Some of the waters Wyoming boaters know best. This is our list, not an official one, and it isn’t complete.
VesselSOS on Wyoming 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 Wyoming life jacket law for kids?
All children 12 and under must wear a USCG-approved life jacket at all times while underway, unless riding in an enclosed cabin.
Do you need a boating license in Wyoming?
Not required in Wyoming. Under 16 may not operate any motorized vessel, including a PWC, unless a person 18+ responsible for the vessel is on board.
How old do you have to be to drive a jet ski in Wyoming?
16 to operate alone; under 16 only with a person 18+ on board.
Do you have to register a boat in Wyoming?
Motorized boats need a title, Certificate of Number and decals. Exempt: non-motorized sailboats, canoes, kayaks and rowboats; boats registered in another state or country on Wyoming waters under 90 consecutive days; US-government and USCG-documented vessels. All vessels, including PWC and non-motorized boats, must display a current annual Aquatic Invasive Species Program decal; exempt are inflatables 10 ft or less, all paddleboards (solid or inflatable) and water sport toys.
Sources
State boating agency: Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD)
- https://www.boat-ed.com/wyoming/
- https://www.boat-ed.com/wyoming/boating_law/
- https://www.boat-ed.com/wyoming/studyGuide/Specific-PFD-Requirements/10105301_51430/
- https://www.boat-ed.com/wyoming/studyGuide/Requirements-Specific-to-PWC/10105301_51470/
- https://www.boat-ed.com/wyoming/studyGuide/Which-Boats-Require-Registration/10105301_51406/
- https://www.boat-ed.com/wyoming/studyGuide/Aquatic-Invasive-Species-Program-Decal/10105301_58480/
Checked October 2026. Laws change; confirm with WGFD 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.