Water Safety in Tennessee

In Tennessee, every child 12 and younger must wear a life jacket on the open deck of a boat, and it has to be a foam-style jacket, not an inflatable. Adults are safest wearing one too. If you were born after January 1, 1989, pass the state's boating safety exam before you drive.

Tennessee drowning and boating numbers

15 deaths

• Boating: The U.S. Coast Guard counted 129 reportable recreational boating incidents in Tennessee in 2024, with 15 deaths and 56 injuries (opens in a new tab). Deaths by year: 30 in 2020, 21 in 2021, 27 in 2022, 22 in 2023 and 15 in 2024.
• Drowning: CDC puts Tennessee's average annual drowning death rate for 2018-2021 at 1.40 per 100,000 people (opens in a new tab), above the U.S. rate of 1.31.
• Boats: 244,031 registered vessels in 2024.

CDC counts drowning deaths of residents; the Coast Guard counts boating incidents. See our Tennessee data page.

Tennessee life jacket rules

From the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA):

• Children: all children 12 years of age and younger are required to wear a Coast Guard-approved PFD while on the open deck of a recreational boat (opens in a new tab), except when the boat is anchored, moored or aground.
• Every boat: all boats, including canoes and kayaks, must carry a wearable life jacket for each person on board or being towed. Boats 16 feet or longer also need a throwable device.
• Inflatables: an inflatable must carry a Coast Guard approval stamp to count, and a Type V inflatable must be worn. Inflatable devices of any kind are not acceptable for persons less than 16 years old (opens in a new tab) or for personal watercraft operation.

See life jackets for babies and kids and inflatable life jackets.

TWRA also reminds boaters what "Boats Keep Out" buoys mean: they mark swimming areas, areas near dams, and other places boats are not allowed. Swimmers should stay inside marked swim areas, away from boat traffic.

Tennessee boating exam

TWRA says any Tennessee resident born after January 1, 1989 (opens in a new tab) must pass a Boating Safety Exam to operate a vessel with more than 8.5 horsepower. It isn't required when an adult 18 or older, born before January 1, 1989, is on board and able to take immediate control. Non-residents born after that date need a NASBLA-approved boating safety certificate.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Check TWRA before you go.

Rivers: Big South Fork

On the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, the National Park Service says the river is free-flowing with no dam controls (opens in a new tab), and heavy rains can make it dangerous. Check the river gauge before a trip. Swimmers will find holes, submerged rocks, tricky currents and ledges that can trap feet and legs. The park recommends its lifeguarded Bandy Creek pool (open Memorial Day through Labor Day), and says anyone who swims in the river should wear a life jacket and never swim alone. Read river safety.

What you can do today

• Check that every child 12 and under has a foam life jacket that fits.
• Take TWRA's boating safety exam if you were born after January 1, 1989.
• Teach kids what "Boats Keep Out" buoys mean, and to swim only in marked areas.
• Check river gauges before a float, and skip high-water days.
• Find swim lessons with our guide to finding swim lessons.