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Required Safety Equipment |
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The safety equipment required by law to be carried onboard your boat depends first on the type of propulsion and then by style and length of the boat.
To begin, click on the tab that corresponds to the propulsion method for your boat. Any motor -- gas or electric -- makes your boat a powerboat, even if it's only a backup.
Once you have chosen the method of propulsion, find the column along the top that applies to the vessel you are outfitting. A dot in that column means that item is required. The number refers to a footnote, which explains any exceptions.
NOTE: This chart is intended for quick reference only and is not a substitute for knowledge of the specifics of Ohio boating laws. Refer to the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) for complete boating laws or the Ohio Boat Operator's Guide for a summary of criteria for each item to be legally acceptable. WARNING: If a vessel is exempt from carrying specific equipment, that does not mean that a wise skipper would not carry it anyway! BOAT SMART OHIO!
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- A title is not required for any vessel less than 14 feet in length EXCEPT: effective January 1, 2000, vessels less than 14 feet in length with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion of 10 HP or more will need a title.
- On vessels less than 18 feet in length, any child less than 10 years of age must wear a properly fitted type I, II or III flotation device at all times.
- Exception for vessels propelled by an electric motor and vessels less than 26 feet in length designed for use with an outboard motor, of "open construction".
- Applies to any vessel of 12 meters (39.4 feet) or more in length.
- Applies to any vessel less than 12 meters (39.4 feet) in length.
- Exception for any vessel less than 14 feet in length, any canoe, and any sailboat less than 21 feet in length.
- Some varieties of personal watercraft may be exempted by the U.S. Coast Guard. Consult your watercraft dealer or the manufacturer to verify requirements for these devices.
- Every person on board a personal watercraft must wear a properly fitted Type I, II, III or V flotation device.
- Prohibited from operating between sunset and sunrise.
*Federal waters in Ohio include Lake Erie and connecting bays and harbors on the Ohio River and the Muskingum River.
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Manually Propelled Watercraft
(No motor or sail)
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Canoes, Kayaks, Sculls, Shells, Float Tubes, Paddleboards |
Rowboats |
Rubber Raft |
TITLE ORC 1548.03
NOT carried onboard; should be kept in a safe place with other important papers |
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REGISTRATION & NUMBERS ORC 1547.53
Registration tag(s) displayed; registration carried onboard; numbers displayed |
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PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES
ORC 1547.25
One type I, II, III or V wearable device for each person on board |
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VISUAL DISTRESS SIGNALS
ORC 1547.251
On Lake Erie (sunset to sunrise) a USCG approved signal for night use |
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SOUND SIGNALING DEVICES
OAC 1501:47-2-33
On *federal waters a whistle, horn or other device |
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ANCHOR AND LINE
ORC 1547.26 & OAC 1501:47-1-11 |
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LIGHTS
OAC 1501:47-2 |
Running lights or electric torch or lighted lantern |
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| Anchor light |
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- Not required for any vessel less than 14 feet in length.
- Vessels with an Alternative Registration (single rectangular decal) are exempt from displaying numbers.
- On vessels less than 18 feet in length, any child less than 10 years of age MUST wear a properly fitted type I, II or III or IV flotation device at all times.
*Federal waters in Ohio include Lake Erie and connecting bays and harbors on the Ohio River and the Muskingum River.
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