Boating Safety
Who May Operate a Boat?
Those less than 12 years of age:
- May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 horsepower (hp) without restrictions.
- May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp, but no more than 35 hp only if they are directly supervised onboard by a person at least 16 years of age.
- May not legally operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 35 hp under any conditions.
Those 12 to 15 years of age:
- May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 hp without restrictions.
- May legally operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp only if they:
- Have passed a boating safety course approved by the Department of Natural Resources and have onboard their boating safety certificate or,
- Are accompanied onboard by a person at least 16 years of age.
Those 16 years of age or older:
- May operate any boat on the waters of Michigan. Note: See who may operate a personal water craft below.
Who May Operate Personal Water Craft (PWC)?
No one less than 12 years old may legally operate a PWC.
A person who is 12 or more and less than 14 years of age may operate a PWC only if:
- He or she obtained a boating safety certificate prior to January 1, 1999 or,
- All of the following conditions are satisfied:
- The person is accompanied solely by his or her parent or legal guardian.
- Both the person and the parent or legal guardian have obtained a boating safety certificate.
- The PWC is equipped with a lanyard-type ignition safety switch and the parent or legal guardian has the lanyard attached to his or her person, clothing, or life jacket.
- The PWC is designed to carry at least two people.
Those 14 years of age or older:
- A person born after December 31, 1978, may operate a PWC only if he or she has obtained a boating safety certificate.
- Those born December 31, 1978, or earlier may operate a PWC without restrictions.
Required Equipment Checklist
| Equipment | Personal Water Craft (PWC) | Boats Less Than 16′ | Boat Between 16′ – 26′ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boaters Safety Certificate | Required only if operator is a minor | Required only if operator is a minor | Required only if operator is a minor |
| Certificate of Number Onboard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validation Decal Displayed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Life Jackets (PFD’s): Type I, II, or III | Those on a PWC must wear PFD at all times. Those under 12 years of age must wear a type I or II PFD. Inflatable PFD’s are not allowed on PWC. | Those under the age of 6 years must wear a PFD when riding on the open deck of any boat. | Those under the age of 6 years must wear a PFD when riding on the open deck of any boat. |
| Life Jackets (PFD’s): Type IV | Yes | ||
| Fire Extinguisher, Type B-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ignition Safety Switch | Yes | ||
| Flame Arrestor | Yes | Required on inboard and stern drives only | Required on inboard and stern drives only |
| Ventilation System | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Muffler | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Horn, Bell, or Whistle | Required only on the Great Lakes and waters connected to the Great Lakes. | Required only on the Great Lakes and waters connected to the Great Lakes. | Yes |
| Daytime Visual Distress System | Yes | ||
| Night Time Visual Distress System | N/A | When boating on the Great Lakes or waters connected to the Great Lakes between sunrise and sunset. | When boating on the Great Lakes or waters connected to the Great Lakes between sunrise and sunset. |
| Navigation Lights | N/A | Manually-driven boats (sailboats under sail, rowboats, etc.) are only required to have on hand a flashlight or lantern. | Manually-driven boats (sailboats under sail, rowboats, etc.) are only required to have on hand a flashlight or lantern. |
Wake & Boat Speed – DNR Control Orders
| Lake | Township | Type Of Control |
|---|---|---|
| Bain | Deerfield | Entire lake – Slow no wake |
| Bass Lake | Hamburg | High speed boating ad water skiing prohibited |
| Bass Lake (Canals) | Hamburg | On all connected canals – Slow no wake |
| Bennett Lake | Deerfield | All Channels – Slow no wake |
| Big Silver Lake | Putnam | High Speed Boating and water skiing 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. only |
| Bishop Lake | Hamburg | Entire lake – Slow no wake |
| Chilson Creek | Genoa | Only electric motors |
| Chilson Pond | Hamburg | Only electric motors |
| Clark Lake | Brighton | No high speed boating |
| Clifford (Round) Lake | Genoa | All channels – Slow no wake |
| Chemung | Genoa | Grand River Park County Ordinance – No swimming, wading, boat docking, launching, or fishing |
| Cordley | Hamburg | Entire Lake – Slow no wake |
| East (Big) Crooked | Genoa | All channels & canals – Slow no wake |
| Dunham Lake | Hartland | Motorboats prohibited |
| Gill/Gut Lake | Hamburg | Entire lake – Slow no wake |
| Hiland | Putnam | All channels & canals – Slow no wake |
| Hoisington | Deerfield | All channels – Slow no wake |
| Huron River | Hamburg | Entire river – Slow no wake |
| Indian | Deerfield | All channels – Slow no wake |
| Kent | Green Oak | Speed 10 mph, rafts & floats confined to swim areas. No towing skiers, boards, etc. |
| Shan-Gri-La Lake | Hamburg | Entire lake – Slow no wake |
| Lobdell | Deerfield | All channels – Slow no wake |
| Louis | Deerfield | Slow no wake |
| Marl | Tyrone | Canal – Slow no wake |
| Mud Bay, Portage | Putnam | Mud bay and entrance – Slow no wake |
| Ore | Hamburg | South end of lake section 13 & 18 in Hamburg Township – Slow no wake |
| Osborne Lake | Brighton | No motorboats |
| Patterson Lake | Deerfield | Entire lake – Slow no channels |
| Patterson Lake | Unadilla | Channel – slow no wake |
| School | Brighton | Slow no wake from 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 a.m., no towing skis, tubes, etc. (7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. for Eastern Daylight Time) |
| Tamarack | Hamburg | Entire lake – Slow no wake |
| Triangle | Marion | Slow no wake from 6:30 p.m. – 10 a.m., no towing skis, tubes, etc. |
| Whalen | Hartland | No high speed boating or towing of skis, tubes, etc. |
| Woodburn | Unadilla | Entire lake – slow no wake, no towing of skis, tubes, etc. |
| Woodburn Canals | Unadilla | All connecting canals – Slow no wake |
