CO · State boating guide

Colorado
boating laws

Last verified October 28, 2026

At a glance

Boater card: Required for specified operators; operators aged 14 to 17 of any motorboat, including a PWC; operators 18 and older are not required to take a course
Operating age: No one under 14 may operate a motorboat or PWC. Ages 14 to 17 may operate only after completing a state-approved boating safety course and must carry the certificate on board. Liveries may not rent a motorboat to anyone under 18 unless they are 14 to 17 and certified.
Life-jacket age rule: Children 12 and younger must wear a life jacket on the water, except inside an enclosed cabin or below deck.
BUI / BAC limit: 0.08 BAC
Registration fee: $25.00–$76.25; Published categories; see fees and exceptions below.
Registration term: 1 year

The short answer

Do I need a boating license in Colorado?

Colorado boating safety certificate is required for operators aged 14 to 17 of any motorboat, including a PWC; operators 18 and older are not required to take a course.

Confirm with Colorado Parks and Wildlife ↗

Since June 1, 2024, Colorado bars anyone under 18 from operating a motorboat or PWC unless they are 14 to 17 and have passed a state-approved boating safety course. Motorized and sail-powered boats must be registered every calendar year, from $36.25 for boats under 20 feet, and each also needs an aquatic nuisance species stamp. Children 12 and younger must wear a life jacket, PWC riders must all wear one, and the intoxication limit is 0.08 BAC.

Before you operate

Boater education & operating age

Colorado boater education requirements
Requirement	Details
Education required	Yes — see who needs a card below
Who needs a card	operators aged 14 to 17 of any motorboat, including a PWC; operators 18 and older are not required to take a course
Card or certificate	Colorado boating safety certificate
Minimum operating age	No one under 14 may operate a motorboat or PWC. Ages 14 to 17 may operate only after completing a state-approved boating safety course and must carry the certificate on board. Liveries may not rent a motorboat to anyone under 18 unless they are 14 to 17 and certified.
Out-of-state cards	CPW says Colorado's certification is recognized in other states. Colorado law requires a certificate from a Division-approved course for operators 14 to 17; it does not spell out how out-of-state cards are treated.

Find an officially approved course

Your boat’s paperwork

Boat registration & fees

Colorado residents must register motorized and sail-powered boats with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Registration runs on the calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Out-of-state boats may use their home-state registration for up to 60 days. Every motorized or sail-powered boat also needs an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) stamp: $25 for Colorado-registered boats and $50 for out-of-state boats. Each registration fee includes a $1.25 search and rescue surcharge.

Boat less than 20 feet$36.25
Boat 20 feet to less than 30 feet$46.25
Boat 30 feet or longer$76.25
ANS stamp, Colorado-registered boat (required in addition to registration)$25.00
ANS stamp, out-of-state boat$50.00

Registration fee data and sources

Colorado registration fees · USD
Boat / fee category	Fee	Term	Source
Boat less than 20 feet	$36.25	1 year	Official source: Boat less than 20 feet ↗
Boat 20 feet to less than 30 feet	$46.25	1 year	Official source: Boat 20 feet to less than 30 feet ↗
Boat 30 feet or longer	$76.25	1 year	Official source: Boat 30 feet or longer ↗
ANS stamp, Colorado-registered boat (required in addition to registration)	$25.00	1 year	Official source: ANS stamp, Colorado-registered boat (required in addition to registration) ↗
ANS stamp, out-of-state boat	$50.00	1 year	Official source: ANS stamp, out-of-state boat ↗

Published registration fees in USD. Bar lengths compare the listed amounts; terms and official sources appear in the data table below.

Registration details from the agency

Personal watercraft (Jet Ski) rules

Everyone on board a PWC must wear a USCG-approved life jacket (C.R.S. 33-13-106).
If the PWC came with an engine cut-off lanyard, the operator must attach it to their person, clothing or life jacket.
No PWC operation from one half hour after sunset to one half hour before sunrise (C.R.S. 33-13-108).
PWC operators must be 18, or 14 to 17 with a boating safety certificate.
Inflatable life jackets are not approved for PWC use.

Towing & watersports

A boat towing a skier, tuber or similar must carry an observer, besides the operator, who watches the person being towed and can relay messages.
No towing or water skiing between sunset and sunrise.
Anyone being towed must wear a life jacket.
Display an orange or red flag at least 12 inches square whenever a towed person or their equipment is down in the water.
No water skiing within 150 feet of a harbor, swimming beach or mooring area, and boats in designated ski areas travel counter-clockwise.

Life jacket rules

Every boat must carry one USCG-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board.
Boats 16 feet or longer must also carry a Type IV throwable device.
Children 12 and younger must wear a life jacket on the water, except inside an enclosed cabin or below deck.
Everyone on a PWC must wear a life jacket.
Inflatable life jackets are approved only for people 16 and older, and not for PWC, whitewater paddling or towed sports.

Boating under the influence

Published limit: 0.08 BAC. Read the linked official guidance for the full rule and any age-specific provisions.

At a glance

You must be 18 to operate a motorboat or PWC, or 14 to 17 with a safety course.
Registration is annual and runs January 1 to December 31.
Motorized and sail boats need an ANS stamp on top of registration: $25 resident, $50 nonresident.
PWC may not run from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise.
A first BUI conviction brings a mandatory three-month boating ban.

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