Hawaii Boating Laws and Regulations

Hawaii State Boat Registration Requirements - Numbers and Stickers:

What boats must be registered in Hawaii?

To operate your vessel in Hawaii, you must register your boat. All motorized vessels in Hawaii are required to be registered annually, with the following exceptions:

Vessels that are documented with the U.S. Coast Guard or any other federal agency;
Vessels that have been properly registered in another State and not operating on Hawaii’s State waters for more than 60 days;
Vessels from another country and not operating on Hawaii’s State waters for more than 60 days;
Vessels owned by the U.S Government;
A vessel’s lifeboat used only for lifesaving purposes;
Manually propelled vessels (e.g. canoes and kayaks);
Vessels 8 feet in length or less propelled ONLY by sail;
Motorboats used exclusively for racing;
Vessels operating under a valid temporary certificate of number.

Once a vessel is registered the owner will receive a Certificate of Number that must be kept aboard the boat at all times and be readily available for inspection by a law enforcement officer.

The Certificate of Number and registration decals are obtained from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

The department must be notified within seven days if the owner changes address or if the vessel is sold, destroyed, or abandoned.

You must display your boat number in the following manner:

Painted on or permanently attached to each side of the bow;
Positioned to ensure maximum visibility;
Using BLOCK letters at least three inches high and of one solid color contrasting with the color of your boat;
To read from left to right; letters and numbers must be separated by a space or a hyphen, for example, NM 1234 AB or NM-1234-AB;

You must display your validation decals as follows:

How do I transfer ownership of a used boat in Hawaii?

Obtain a bill of sale: The seller and buyer should complete a bill of sale that includes the boat's make, model, year, hull identification number (HIN), and the sale price.
Obtain a certificate of ownership: The seller should provide the buyer with a certificate of ownership, also known as a title, or other proof of ownership.
Complete the transfer section: The buyer should complete the transfer section on the back of the certificate of ownership, including their name, address, and signature.
Obtain a notarized signature: The seller's signature on the certificate of ownership must be notarized.
Submit the necessary documents and fees: The buyer should submit the completed certificate of ownership, bill of sale, and any applicable fees to the Hawaii Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.
Obtain new registration and decals: Once the transfer of ownership is complete, the buyer will receive new registration and decals for the boat.

Age restrictions for boaters in Hawaii?

It is illegal for any person under the age of 15 to operate a thrill craft. Additionally, it is illegal to permit, or mislead another person into permitting, a person under 15 years of age to operate a thrill craft.

A person under the age of 16 is not permitted to operate a power-driven vessel on the waters of Hawaii unless in possession of certificate of completion from a NASBLA and State of Hawaii approved course on the safe operation of a power driven vessel and is accompanied on-board and supervised by a person of 21 years of age or older who holds their required certificate of completion.

Hawaii PFD requirements

Each vessel must have at least one Type I, II, III or V U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approved PFD of proper size, in serviceable condition, and readily accessible for each person on board.
Boats 16 feet or more in length must carry at least one Type IV - throwable USCG-approved PFD that is kept within easy reach of the operator or passenger(s) on board.
All thrill craft operators and passengers are required to wear a properly fitted type I, II, III or V USCG-approved PFD.
Any person being towed on water skis, other towed devices, or operating or riding on a personal watercraft (PWC) must wear a properly fitted type I, II, III or V USCG-approved PFD.
Inflatable PFD are not approved for use during high impact activities such as tow sports, water skiing or PWC operation.
All vessels in small boat harbors that have people living on board must have at least one USCG–approved PFD for each person on board; wearable USCG–approved life jackets suitable for a child must be provided for each child living on board the vessel.

Children: Passengers 12 years of age or younger must wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD while the vessel they are on is docked, underway, drifting, or anchored offshore unless they are in an enclosed cabin or below deck. Unless worn, an inflatable PFD may not be counted to meet carriage requirements on your vessel. Read the labelling.

Water ski Regulations in Hawaii

Any person who is being towed behind a boat, in an activity such as water skiing, must wear a properly fitted USCG-approved PFD. An inflatable PFD is not permitted.

If towing a person on water skis or other devices using a PWC (also known as ''thrill craft'' in Hawaii), the activity must be conducted in a designated thrill craft riding zone or in undesignated State waters.

In addition to the operator, there must be a competent observer or a rear-view mirror onboard, to observe the object or skier being towed when that person is within the towboat wake on a 75-foot line.