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Official North Dakota boating course North Dakota Game and Fish Department Logo

Hello, boater! North Dakota's online boating course has moved. Click here to go to the latest version of the Boat North Dakota course—the official boating safety course of the North Dakota State Marine Board.

The following course material is for reference only. Please go to the new course to complete your North Dakota certification.

Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Requirements Specific to Personal Watercraft (PWCs)

In addition to adhering to all boating laws, personal watercraft (PWC) operators have requirements specific to their vessel.

Adult and teenager riding jet ski wearing life jackets

PWC Flash animation

Be Part of the Action!

Learn more about operating a PWC with this interactive animation. (Most students will already have Flash installed. If not, follow this link to install the Flash Player.)

Towing a Person With a Vessel Legally

Vessel operators towing a person(s) on water skis, a surfboard, or any similar device must obey these laws also.

  • Each person being towed behind a vessel must wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved Type I, II, or III personal flotation device (life jacket).
  • It is illegal to tow a person on water skis, a surfboard, or any similar device between the hours from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
  • Every vessel towing a person(s) on water skis or a similar device must have a person on board, in addition to the vessel operator, who is continuously observing the towed person(s).
  • If the towing vessel is a PWC, the PWC must be rated by the manufacturer for at least three people—the operator, the observer, and the retrieved skier.
  • Water-skiing is a team sport, and both the vessel operator and the persons being towed must act responsibly.
    • It is illegal to operate the towing vessel or manipulate the towing rope, water skis, or other devices such that the towed device or person collides with any other person or object.
    • It is illegal to tow water-skiers near other vessels or obstructions, into other hazardous areas, into marked swimming areas, or near swimmers.

PWC towing wakeboarder with observer on board

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Online boating license and certification course last modified: April 13, 2011
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