California Life Jacket Law

California boating law requires to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-Approved Life Jacket for:

All persons on board a PWC;
Anyone being towed behind a vessel;
Every children under 13 years on a moving recreational vessel of any length must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket in serviceable condition and of a type and size appropriate for the conditions and the activity.

The law does not apply in the following circumstances:

The operator of a sailboat on which every child under age 13 is restrained by a harness tethered to the sailboat;
The operator of a vessel on which every child under age 13 is in an enclosed cabin.

Under California boating laws all personal flotation devices must be readily accessible and one throwable flotation device must be immediately available.

With the exception of kayaks and canoes, every vessel must carry one wearable U.S. Coast Guard-Approved PFD for every person on board if the vessel is 16 feet or longer.

Inflatable PFD must be worn in order to be considered readily accessible. Inflatable U.S. Coast Guard-Approved PFD are acceptable for persons age 16.

PFDs must be kept in serviceable condition. If they are badly torn, damaged, rotted, punctured, or otherwise unserviceable, they no longer meet legal requirements and should be replaced.

Do you need a life jacket for a kayak in California?

A Coast Guard-approved life jacket must be carried for each person on board. If stored, these life jackets must be readily available (easy to get to), and you must show passengers the location of life jackets and other safety equipment.

Do you need a life jacket for a canoe in California?

Are life jackets required on paddle boards in California?

Do you need a life jacket for an underwater maneuvering device in California?

Anyone using an underwater maneuvering device is exempt from wearing a life jacket. An underwater maneuvering device is any towed or self-powered device designed for underwater use that a person can pilot through diving, turning and surfacing moves.

It is highly recommended that all boaters wear PFD’s.

The mandatory boating safety education law is phased in by age. If you operate any type of motorized vessel on California waterways (including powered sailboats/paddlecraft), you are required to pass an approved boating safety examination and carry a lifetime California Boater Card.