Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Contents

• Your Vessel's Registration
  • Displaying the Assigned Number and Validation Decals
  • Your Vessel's Title
• Hull Identification Number
• Who May Operate a Motorized Vessel or Personal Watercraft
• Unlawful Operation
• Alcohol and Drugs
• Obstructing Navigation
  • Homeland Security Restrictions
• Personal Flotation Devices (Life Jackets)
• Fire Extinguishers
• Backfire Flame Arrestors
• Ventilation Systems
• Boat Battery
• Mufflers and Noise Level Limits
• Navigation Lights
• Visual Distress Signals
• Sound-Producing Devices
• Other Equipment and Regulations
• Specific Requirements for Personal Watercraft (PWCs)
• Towing a Person Legally With a Vessel
• Waste, Oil and Trash Disposal in Wisconsin
  • Stop the Spread of Nuisance Species
• Boating Accidents and Casualties—What the Law Requires You to Do
• Enforcement
• Wisconsin Required Equipment Checklist
• Invasive Species
• Chapter 4 Summary
• Chapter 4 Review Questions