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The Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission is responsible for regulating the state boating laws of Washington State.
All vessels propelled by machinery, including gasoline, diesel and electric motors, and principally operated on Washington State waters must be registered and issued a Washington Registration Card and Number by the state, which can be obtained through the office of vehicle licensing or Auditor in the boat owner's county. Exceptions for the boat registration requirements include:
Note: By law, any new or used motor vessel, other than a Jet Ski type personal watercraft, must display a sticker that warns passengers of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Sticker should be provided when you renew or register, or by the boat manufacturer or previous owners. If they do not receive one, you may contact your local vehicle licensing office.
Successful registration results in a registration card along with a registration decal for each side of the vessel. Physical boat numbers must be purchased separately. Boat numbers must:
For example: WN 1234 BX or WN-1234-BX. This is a federal and state requirement.
The decal which is provided to you by the state must be displayed aft of the registration numbers on both sides of the vessel.
Lack of the correct documentation will result in delays and fines.
Make sure all boats are properly marked and documented. It's important to keep your papers with the boat – be particularly aware when transferring ownership of your vessel.
Description |
Fee |
Other applicable fees |
Annual vessel registration fee |
$20.25 |
Subagent fee (if filing at any licensing office except a county auditor): $4 |
|
|
Vessel excise tax: 0.5% of taxable value of vessel ($5 minimum ) |
Vessel owners may submit registration or title applications as well as fees by mail to the following:
Department of Licensing
Vessel Licensing
P.O. Box 9909
Olympia, WA 98507-8500
More information with regards to registration and titling applications may also be obtained by contacting your local county auditor or the Department of Licensing at 1-360-902-4089.
Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
Washington State requires at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved Type IV PFD (ring buoy OR seat cushion) on all recreational boats in excess of 16 feet in length, in ADDITION to the wearable PFD required for each person onboard.
Exceptions to the requirement for carrying a Type IV PFD include the following:
All persons being towed behind a vessel are considered to be onboard.
All PWC occupants must be wearing their PFD while underway.
Child PFD Law
All boaters or passengers 12 years of age and under must be wearing a PFD while onboard a vessel that is less than 19 feet in length while underway.
Even in Eastern Washington, which has higher temperatures than Western Washington in the summer, average water temperature in the hottest areas is about 70 degrees. The average water temperature throughout most of Washington is 50 degrees throughout the year. It is always a good idea to be wearing a proper life jacket. Washington's waters are cold and you never know when you could find yourself in the water. Over the past six years, nearly two thirds of the fatalities on the water involved immersion in cold water which contributed to the death.
Initial Reaction: If you fall in cold water - your body's initial reaction is a 'gasp reflex'. This initial reaction can result in swallowed water. If operating in cold water, ensure your PFD has enough freeboard to keep you high in the water and reduce the possibility of face immersions.
Short-Term Immersion: If you do end up in the water, particularly in cold water, it is most important to find a way to get your body out of the water as soon as possible. In cold water, you may only retain the motor skills to swim for between 10 and 30 minutes. In cold water immersion cases, boaters drown as a result of swimming failure rather than hypothermia.
Establish contact with the victim using a buoyant heaving line or lifebuoy secured to the boat with a line, and recover the person. Be sure to turn off the prop - if retrieving from the stern. A heavy rope, chain or cable secured at both ends and draped over the side, almost touching the water, can provide a makeshift step if no boarding ladder is available.
Learn a recovery technique that works - and PRACTICE!
A boater who is involved in an accident must stop their vessel immediately at the scene of the accident and assist injured people or anyone in danger, unless doing so would endanger their own vessel or passengers.
In Washington, operators must report any accident involving
When an accident occurs that requires a written report, the operator shall, without delay, by the quickest means available, notify the Washington State Agency with jurisdiction of the accident on an accident report form:
When the operator of a vessel cannot give the notice required by the foregoing, each person, onboard the vessel shall notify the Washington State agency with jurisdiction or a member of its law-enforcement team, or determine that the notice has been given. If the operator cannot submit the report, the owner of the vessel is responsible.
Download the Washington Accident Report Form at: http://parks.state.wa.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/891
Washington State is on the Pacific rim of fire which is the main generator of seismic events that can create tsunamis. Washington has had tsunamis in the past and can expect more tsunamis in the future. It is important for boaters in coastal areas including Puget Sound to know what to do if they are on their boat when a tsunami may strike.
A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that are caused by disturbances in the earth's crust. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, explosions, landslides and meteorite impacts can all cause tsunamis. Tsunamis are unpredictable events. While tsunamis can occur in any ocean, most occur in the ring of fire areas from South America to Indonesia.
Not all tsunamis are caused by far away events. Local geologic events can cause earthquakes too. The Cascadia subduction zone is known to have caused tsunamis in the past and scientists assume that there will be another tsunami caused by slippage in the Pacific Northwest portion of this zone.
Tsunamis are capable of flooding areas hundreds of feet inland past the normal high tide line. The water moves at three to six hundred mph and can crush almost anything in its path.
Fact: Not all major earthquakes result in a tsunami.
Tsunamis cause rapid changes in the water including water levels and unpredictable currents especially in harbors and entrance channels.
Tsunamis move very quickly, several hundred miles per hour, and if an earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone is severe, there will be little time available to get to high ground. You should have an evacuation plan including what to do with your boat and belongings and if there is time, you should have planned what you will take off your boat if you cannot move the boat itself.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Every year commercial ships and recreational boats occupy the same waters. Both Portland and Seattle are major shipping ports on the West Coast. Recreational boaters need to understand how shipping channels and the vessel traffic system work so they may avoid uncomfortable and occasionally fatal contact with the ships in these channels.
Puget Sound has a Vessel Traffic System (VTS) run by the US Coast Guard that oversees the shipping lanes through the Strait of Juan De Fuca and into Seattle. The Columbia River has shipping lanes but no vessel traffic system. Boaters in both of these locations need to watch out for large ships and take appropriate measures to avoid these ships. The following should be kept in mind when operating in such waters:
Personal watercraft may not be operated during hours of darkness (sunset to sunrise).
PWC operators in the state of Washington must be at least fourteen (14) years of age.
In addition to the laws that apply to all vessels, there are additional laws that apply specifically to personal watercraft. Do not underestimate PWCs – they are very powerful for their small size and demand the same respect as any boat. In fact, PWC operation must adhere to the same rules and regulations as any other powerboat – including registration with the state and a B-1 class fire extinguisher aboard. Plus PWCs have some additional requirements:
No person under the age of 12 can operate a motorized vessel of 15 horsepower or greater.
Similarly, no person under the age of 14 may operate a personal watercraft (PWC). In addition in order to rent a PWC a person must be at least 16 years of age.
Diving and Snorkeling
Particular care must be taken when boating in waters where there are divers. A vessel engaged in diving must display a blue and white flag. A red and white flag carried on a buoy is to be used to mark areas where diving is in progress, although divers may stray from the boundaries of the marked areas.
Be sure you know what the 'diver down' flags look like. If you see either flag, keep well clear of the vessel and diving site, and move at slow speed.
Washington law requires that operators keep at least 200 feet from the vessel and diving site. Snorkelers and scuba divers alike are asked not to do dive in areas already occupied by numerous boats. Diving should not take place in narrow waterways, as such would restrict other vessels from passing.
Divers can be on any body of water so be vigilant for 'diver down' flags.
Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) are plants and animals that threaten the aquatic environment which is important to boaters. ANS are also called invasive species or non-native species.
Because ANS have no naturally occurring enemies that would keep them in check, these plants or animals can out compete and feed on native species. These species threaten the diversity or abundance of native species, the economic, agricultural and recreational activities that depend on our native species and water quality.
Of the species listed under the Endangered Species act, 42% are listed as a result of the deliberate or accidental introduction of non-native species into a new habitat.
Both plants and animals are spread in a variety of ways: through commercial shipping ballast water, introduction through aquarium water disposed of incorrectly, through plants and animals from landscaping/nurseries, introduction from hitchhiking on cargoes, and transported by recreational boaters.
The introduction of non-native species into Washington's waters is a problem which affects everyone. Introducing non-native species into Washington can upset the balance of the ecosystem, hurting the environment. When transported into new waters, these organisms proliferate, displacing native species, damage the water resource, damage the sports and commercial fisheries, damage Washington's large shellfish industry, pose a threat to industrial and public drinking water supplies, can weaken and damage banks and levees by burrowing into them, as well as prey on salmon and sturgeon eggs.
Always do a walk-around inspection after cleaning the prop area and bottom of the hull at the launch area before leaving with your boat. Where available, pressure washing the hull and motor parts exposed to the water is advised. Note that some species especially zebra mussels get into tight areas and may be over looked.
You can help prevent the introduction and spread of non-native species from one body of water to another.
There are three species of invasive sea squirts present at various Marina's in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. This has become a real as well as a critical issue. One animal is a colonial tunicate called Didemnum; the other two are solitary tunicates that have taken over certain areas to the exclusion of other species.
Images of the tunicate/sea-squirt species mentioned above can be viewed on the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website: wdfw.wa.gov/ais/search.php?id=9
Extra Attention Required
Watch for information at launch sites about any known nuisance species currently found in the water body where you are boating, such as spartina or milfoil. Before leaving the launch area, do a walk around inspection to see that all visible remnants of plant and animal materials are removed from your boat and trailer.
A general list of what is prohibited in Washington is to be found by visiting the following link for the Department of Fish and Wildlife:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/plants.html
Some plants that threaten marine and freshwater habitats in Washington include milfoil, purple loosestrife, hydrilla and spartina.
Some animals that threaten marine and freshwater habitats in Washington include European green crab, Chinese mitten crab, Zebra mussels, New Zealand mud snails, sea squirts and Asian clams.
To view images of the invasive plants and animals mentioned above, visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
MSD
The discharge of any sewage from marine toilets is prohibited on Washington's freshwater lakes, impoundments, and reservoirs that are not accessible by boat from the ocean.
The use of approved types of marine sanitation devices (MSDs) is required on the Columbia River and on the navigable portions of all coastal rivers. Discharge of untreated sewage is only permitted beyond the three nautical mile ocean limit.
Since 2008, Washington State has been phasing in new boating safety education requirements for all boaters. After January 1st, 2016, all boaters over the age of 12 who operate a vessel with more than 15 hp are required to carry the Washington State issued Boater Education Card. Boat operators born before January 1, 1955 are exempt from this requirement.
Persons who do not have a boater education card and are 12 years of age or older may operate a vessel with more than 15 HP if accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a responsible person 16 years of age or older who has their boater education card.
As of January 1, 2016, all boat operators meeting the requirements will have an education card.
Mandatory boater safety education will be phased in as follows:
Certain individuals will be exempt from meeting Washington's Mandatory Education requirement, for example: persons who have a vessel operator's license, or persons visiting Washington State.
A complete list of exemptions is available on the Washington State Parks website.
All boat operators born before January 1, 1955 will not be required to have a boat operator education card.
Persons who believe that they know the boating safety rules and do not wish to take a course will have the option of taking an equivalency or challenge examination to demonstrate their knowledge of boating safety.
Washington State's mandatory Boater Education Card requirements contain a provision for people who rent vessels. ALL PERSONS who operate a motorized rental vessel of 15 HP or more are required to review a Motor Vessel Rental Safety Checklist. There is no exemption in the law if a person already has a mandatory boater education card; this requirement applies to a person even if that person has a Boater Education Card. Each person who operates a rented vessel must review the checklist with the business providing the vessel.
A person must be at least 16 years of age must in order to rent a PWC.
"No wake" is defined as "The slowest possible speed required in order to maintain steerage and headway."
In Washington, it is unlawful to operate at greater than 'no wake' speed when around gas docks, marinas, boat ramps, and people in the water even if not marked by a regulatory marker.
You may be held responsible for damage caused by vessel wake or wash resulting from negligent or careless operation of a vessel.
Slacken Speed
Operators in Washington should reduce speed to avoid endangering persons or a person's property from the effect of their vessel's wake. The recommended safe distance is 200ft to 300 ft. Reduce speed, to 'no-wake' speed, when approaching or passing the following:
Certain bodies of water in Washington may have local restrictions as to type and size of vessel or motor horsepower, restricted use areas, boat speed, and times for use. Check with the local authorities for these additional restrictions.
Mufflers and Noise Levels
In Washington, complaints from homeowners with property adjacent or close to bodies of water used for recreational boating have led to a state law requiring strict sound levels on boats.
All motor-propelled vessels shall be equipped with and maintained with an effective muffler or underwater exhaust system that is in good working order and in constant use.
No person may operate a boat on the waters of this state in a manner to exceed a noise level of seventy-five decibels measured from any point on the shoreline of the body of water on which the vessel is being operated.
When using a stationary testing procedure an effective muffler shall not produce sound levels in excess of:
The following acts and maneuvers are considered dangerous & illegal while boating in Washington:
Negligent Operation - A person shall not operate a vessel in a negligent manner. Negligent operation of a vessel is inadvertent operation that endangers another person or property, but is not intentional.
Reckless Operation - It is also unlawful for any person to operate a vessel in a reckless manner. Reckless operation of a vessel is deliberate behavior that puts a person or property at risk.
Speed limits and zoned or restricted areas are determined by local ordinance. Become familiar with your local ordinances by talking with your sheriff's office marine patrol or with your local police department marine patrol. Examples are no wake zones, danger zones, and speed limit zones.
Slow and Stop
If a law enforcement officer makes a request for a boater to stop their vessel it is the boater's responsibility to comply. Boaters are required to respond to any law enforcement officer to stop his or her boat when asked to do so by said officer. It is illegal to elude law enforcement officers.
An operator of a vessel is required to stop when requested or signaled to do so by a person reasonably identifiable as a law enforcement officer. An operator of a vessel is required to immediately stop a vessel if operating in a reckless manner and is attempting to elude a pursuing law enforcement vessel after being given a visual or audible signal to stop the vessel.
Serious Penalties
Boaters need to be aware that it is illegal to drink and operate a boat just as it is to drink and drive a motor vehicle. Most of the laws pertaining to the operation of a vessel under the influence of drugs and alcohol apply in the same way as they would for a car, truck or motorcycle on the road. It shall be a violation for a person to operate a vessel while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug. A person is considered to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug if:
The penalties for boating under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or drugs include the following:
If convicted of an offense:
The operator may also be subject to the payment of compensation for any damages or injuries which may have occurred as a result of the offense.
Boaters are required to respond to any law enforcement officer's request to stop his or her boat when asked to do so by said officer. It is illegal to elude law enforcement officers.
Any new or used motor driven boat or vessel, other than open motorboats with outboard engines and personal watercraft, sold within Washington State must display a carbon monoxide warning sticker on the interior of the vessel.