Boating Safety Checklist: Before You Leave the Dock

Before any boat trip, check that everyone has a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket that fits, check the weather and water, leave a float plan with someone on shore, make sure the required safety gear is aboard and working, clip on the engine cut-off switch, and brief your passengers. The Coast Guard reminds boaters that its equipment rules are minimum requirements and do not guarantee the safety (opens in a new tab) of your boat or passengers.

Print the Boating Safety Checklist and run through it every time. It takes five minutes.

Life jackets for everyone aboard

The Coast Guard's federal requirements guide warns that drowning is the #1 cause of boating fatalities, and it is in many cases preventable (opens in a new tab). In 2024, where the cause of death was known, 76% of people who died in boating incidents drowned (opens in a new tab).

• One wearable life jacket per person. The Coast Guard says all recreational vessels must carry one wearable PFD for each person on board (opens in a new tab).
• The right size and type. Life jackets must be in good condition, the right size and type for the wearer, right for the activity, and Coast Guard-approved. Check with the fit test.
• Children under 13 wearing theirs. Federal law requires it when the boat is underway, unless they are below deck or in an enclosed cabin. If your state has a different child-wear rule, the state rule applies on its waters.
• Within reach, not buried. The Coast Guard says life jackets should not be stowed in plastic bags, in locked or closed compartments (opens in a new tab) or under other gear.
• Better still: everyone wears one. The Coast Guard recommends that you always wear a personal flotation device (PFD) and require your passengers to do the same (opens in a new tab).
• Inflatables armed. Inflatable jackets need a full cylinder and green indicators. See inflatable life jackets.

Need new jackets? Use the Life jacket finder and our guide to choosing the right life jacket.

Weather and water conditions

• Check the forecast before you leave. The Coast Guard says to check the weather before you depart (opens in a new tab) and keep an eye out for changing conditions. The NWS posts marine forecasts (opens in a new tab) for coastal waters and the Great Lakes.
• Check the water temperature, and dress for it. The NWS says to always dress for water temperature, not for air temperature (opens in a new tab).
• Know your route, where you're going and how to get back.
• Have a bad-weather plan. The Coast Guard's guide says that in severe weather, everyone should be wearing a life jacket, you should reduce speed, and head for the nearest shore that is safe to approach.

Required and recommended gear

Federal rules depend on your boat's length, type and where you operate, and your state may add more. The Coast Guard's federal requirements guide (opens in a new tab) covers the details. The main items are:

• Wearable life jackets, one per person (above).
• A throwable device. Boats 16 feet and longer (except canoes and kayaks) (opens in a new tab) must carry one throwable PFD (Type IV), such as a cushion or ring buoy. It must be immediately available, on deck within arm's reach.
• Fire extinguishers, where required for your boat. The guide says to inspect them each time you get underway.
• A sound-producing device, such as a horn or whistle. Navigation rules require sound signals in certain situations, in reduced visibility and at anchor.
• Visual distress signals if you operate on coastal waters, the Great Lakes, territorial seas, or waters directly connected to them. Some small boats need only night signals. Check the dates on flares.
• Navigation lights, working, if you'll be out between sunset and sunrise or in fog or haze.
• Registration: the guide says boats with propulsion machinery must be registered in the state of principal use, with the number displayed.
• Drain plug in. The Coast Guard's pre-departure advice includes making sure you haven't forgotten something critical, like putting in the drain plugs (opens in a new tab).

Good ideas, even when not required: the Coast Guard suggests a whistle and an emergency light with each wearable life jacket. Many families also pack a first aid kit, drinking water, sun protection and a way to call for help that works when wet.

State rules. The Coast Guard points boaters to NASBLA for state laws. Use NASBLA's state boating contacts (opens in a new tab) to find your state agency, and its state law dashboards (opens in a new tab) to compare rules on education, life jacket wear and more. NASBLA notes its dashboards reflect laws in effect as of May 2020 unless noted, so confirm with your state.

Get a free Vessel Safety Check

Not sure your boat has everything? The Coast Guard suggests a Vessel Safety Check (opens in a new tab), offered free by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and America's Boating Club.

• The Auxiliary says a check usually takes 15 to 30 minutes (opens in a new tab), at your boat or even in your driveway.
• It is not a law enforcement action. If your boat doesn't pass, no citation is issued (opens in a new tab), and you get a written report on what to fix.
• Boats that pass get a decal for that year.

Request one through the Coast Guard Auxiliary (opens in a new tab) or America's Boating Club (opens in a new tab).

Float plan and communications

• Leave a float plan with a responsible person on shore. The Coast Guard says to always leave behind a float plan with a responsible person (opens in a new tab). See how to file a float plan.
• Carry a way to call for help. The Coast Guard recommends a VHF marine radio, and says Channel 16 is the primary VHF-FM marine radio calling and distress channel (opens in a new tab). It says a cell phone can be an added measure of safety, but not a substitute for a marine radio.
• Charge everything, and keep phones in a waterproof case.

Engine cut-off switch and operator

• Clip on the cut-off switch link. On covered boats (motorized, under 26 feet, 3 horsepower or more, with a switch installed), federal law requires the operator to use it while operating on plane or above displacement speed (opens in a new tab). Read why in what to do if you fall off a boat.
• A sober operator. The Coast Guard says to boat sober (opens in a new tab). In 2024, alcohol was the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating incidents (opens in a new tab). See boating under the influence.
• A trained operator. In 2024, where instruction was known, 69% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction (opens in a new tab). Take a course: see boating safety courses in New York.
• A proper lookout. The Coast Guard says most boating accidents are caused by operator inattention (opens in a new tab).
• Know your load capacity and don't overload the boat.

Passenger briefing

Take two minutes before you leave the dock. The Coast Guard's propeller safety advice says to account for passengers before starting the engine (opens in a new tab) and inform them about propeller hazard areas. Cover:

1. Life jackets: everyone wears one. Show where spares and the throwable device are.
2. Where to sit: no riding on the bow, gunwale, transom or seatbacks.
3. Kids: who is watching each child. The Coast Guard says children should be watched carefully at all times, because it only takes a second to fall overboard.
4. Person overboard: shout, point, keep them in sight, throw something that floats. Never jump in.
5. The cut-off switch and radio: where they are, and that anyone can use the radio or call 911 in an emergency.
6. Swimming stops: engine off before anyone swims, and stay away from the back of the boat.

Carbon monoxide. The Coast Guard says CO can be a silent killer on boats, and to keep people clear of the rear deck area and swim platform of the boat while the generator or engines are running (opens in a new tab). Don't confuse CO symptoms with seasickness.

Docks and marinas. Swimming near docks and marinas with electrical power has its own hidden danger. Read electric shock drowning before anyone swims off a dock.

What you can do today

1. Print the Boating Safety Checklist and keep it with the boat keys.
2. Count and check your life jackets against the number of people you usually take out.
3. Book a free Vessel Safety Check with the Coast Guard Auxiliary (opens in a new tab).
4. Look up your state's boating rules through NASBLA's state boating contacts (opens in a new tab).
5. Write a float plan you can reuse. Our float plan guide shows what to include.