State of Michigan Personal Water Craft Regulations

Michigan is home to a wealth of inland lakes and rivers, including the Great Lakes, which offer ideal conditions for a personal watercraft. Personal watercraft offer a closeup experience and thrill of speeding across the water. Operators should perform a preride checklist to ensure they meet all of the state of Michigan personal watercraft regulations.

  1. Boater Safety Class

    • In Michigan, anyone born after Dec. 31, 1978, must be at least age 14 and pass a state-approved boater safety class to legally operate a personal watercraft. This class teaches potential boaters the laws and regulations of the states' waterways to keep themselves and other safe. The test must be taken in person, but citizens have the option of reviewing the information via a website or an interactive in-person class.

    Personal Flotation Device

    • According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, all passengers on a personal watercraft must wear a Type I, II or III personal flotation device. These devices cannot be of an inflatable variety. Riders must properly wear the personal flotation device including being properly buckled and of appropriate size. A vest-type flotation device offers optimum flotation while being comfortable to wear when maneuvering a personal watercraft.

    License & Registration

    • Any personal watercraft operating on Michigan waters needs to have its annual watercraft sticker properly displayed on its bow along with a paper copy of the registration on board. Most personal watercraft includes a water-tight chamber to store your paperwork, which is accessible in case an officer stops you. It is essential that the rider have her copy of her driver's license and boater's safety class with her at all times when operating a watercraft.

    Other Regulations

    • All personal watercraft in Michigan must have an approved fire extinguisher on board and accessible to the rider. It is unlawful for any two-person personal watercraft to tow anyone performing recreational activities, such as skiing, tubing or wakeboarding. Operators of a three-person personal watercraft towing a recreational rider must have a passenger spotting the recreational rider in case he falls from the towable device. Riders of personal watercraft are allowed to operate the craft from sunrise to sunset as they are not equipped with nighttime navigational equipment. Michigan law requires the use of a safety lanyard that attaches to the operator and stops the motor of they fall off.