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.

• Each person riding on a PWC must wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved Type I, II, III, or V personal flotation device (life jacket).
• An operator of a PWC equipped with a lanyard-type ignition safety switch must attach the lanyard– Short cord used for fastening something or securing rigging; on a PWC and most powerboats, it attaches the ignition safety switch to the operator's wrist or life jacket to his or her person, clothing, or PFD.
• It is illegal to operate a PWC between sunset and sunrise unless the PWC is equipped with the required navigation lights.
• It is illegal to operate a PWC if any part of the spring-loaded throttle mechanism has been removed, altered, or tampered with in order to prevent the throttle from returning to idle when released by the operator.
• It is illegal to operate a PWC at greater than “slow, no wake speed– The slowest speed at which it is still possible to maintain steering” within 100 feet of:
  • A person fishing from a shoreline
  • A swimmer
  • A swimming or diving raft
  • An occupied, anchored, or unpowered vessel
• It is illegal to operate a PWC in a way that unnecessarily endangers others or their property. Specifically, it is illegal to:
  • Weave your PWC through congested waterway traffic.
  • Operate your PWC so that you must swerve at the last possible moment in order to avoid collision.
  • Jump the wake– Waves that a vessel leaves behind as it moves through the water of another vessel within 100 feet of that vessel.
  • Operate in any way that is not reasonable or prudent.
• It is illegal to operate your PWC through emergent or floating vegetation at greater than “slow, no wake speed.”
• It is illegal to chase, harass, or disturb wildlife with your PWC.

Remember—As an owner of a PWC, you are responsible if you knowingly allow anyone else to operate your PWC in violation of North Dakota law.

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.

If towing a skier with a PWC, the PWC must be rated for at least three people—the operator, the observer, and the retrieved skier.