Under Georgia PFD law, who must wear a life jacket comes down to two clear categories: any child under 13 on a moving vessel, and every person aboard a personal watercraft such as a jet ski. Everyone else 13 and older on a conventional boat only needs a Coast Guard–approved PFD within easy reach, not strapped on. Getting this wrong is a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000.
Children Under 13 Must Wear One on a Moving Vessel
No one may operate a moving vessel on Georgia waters with a child under 13 aboard unless that child is wearing a properly sized, Coast Guard–approved PFD. The single exception is a child who is inside a fully enclosed, roofed cabin or compartment.1Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8 – Classification of Vessels; Required Equipment – Section: (h)(3)
Read the exception carefully. It covers moving vessels, so a child on an anchored or docked boat with no enclosed cabin still needs a jacket on. And responsibility sits with whoever is operating the vessel, not the child’s parent. If you are driving the boat, you can be cited for someone else’s kid.
Everyone on a Personal Watercraft Wears a PFD
The rule for jet skis and other personal watercraft is stricter than the rule for conventional boats. Every person aboard, operator and passenger, adult or child, must wear a Coast Guard–approved Type I, II, III, or V PFD that is properly fastened, correctly sized, and in serviceable condition.2Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8.2 – Restrictions on Operation of Personal Watercraft
This is where adults get caught. On a pontoon boat, you can legally sit with a life jacket on the bench next to you. On a jet ski, that same jacket has to be on your body and buckled.
Adults on Conventional Boats: Carry, Don’t Wear
Every vessel operating on Georgia waters must carry at least one Coast Guard–approved PFD for each person on board. The jackets must be readily accessible, in good and serviceable condition, marked with a legible Coast Guard approval number, and properly sized for the people they are meant to protect.3Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8 – Classification of Vessels; Required Equipment
Passengers 13 and older are not required to wear the PFD, but “readily accessible” is a real standard. Life jackets stuffed in a zippered bag at the bottom of a locked storage hatch do not qualify. The test is whether someone could grab one in the seconds an emergency actually gives them.
The Throwable Device Rule
Any vessel 16 feet or longer, other than a canoe or kayak, must also carry at least one Coast Guard–approved throwable flotation device, typically a Type IV ring buoy or seat cushion.4Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8 – Classification of Vessels; Required Equipment – Section: (h)(1) This is separate from your wearable PFDs. A 20-foot boat with a life jacket for every passenger is still out of compliance if there is no throwable aboard.
Narrow Exceptions
Georgia carves out a short list of exceptions from the general PFD carriage requirement. Racing sculls, racing shells, and racing sweeps are exempt. Homemade or inflatable rafts are exempt only when operated within 100 feet of shore on a lake, pond, or other body of water with no current.5Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8 – Classification of Vessels; Required Equipment – Section: (h)(2)
The personal watercraft wear-at-all-times rule does not apply to vessels engaged in regattas, boat races, marine parades, and similar organized events that the Department of Natural Resources has approved in advance under O.C.G.A. 52-7-19.6Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8.2 – Restrictions on Operation of Personal Watercraft – Section: (i)Georgia Code 52-7-19 – Regattas, Boat Races, Marine Parades, Tournaments, or Exhibitions
A Rotted Jacket Doesn’t Count
The statute requires PFDs to be “in good and serviceable condition.”5Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-8 – Classification of Vessels; Required Equipment – Section: (h)(2) For a standard foam jacket, that means no rips or tears, no mildew, no hardened or lumpy foam, no oil saturation, and functioning buckles, zippers, and straps. The Coast Guard approval label has to still be legible. If it has worn off, an inspector will treat the jacket as unapproved.
Inflatable PFDs need more attention. The CO2 cylinder should be firmly secured and free of rust. The Coast Guard suggests inflating the jacket orally every couple of months and leaving it overnight to check for slow leaks; if it deflates, replace it.7United States Coast Guard. Safety Alert 13-16: Check for Problems Before Your Life Depends On It
What a Violation Costs
A PFD violation is a misdemeanor under Georgia boating law.8Justia. Georgia Code 52-7-26 – Penalty Georgia’s general misdemeanor statute sets the ceiling at a fine of up to $1,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both.9Justia. Georgia Code 17-10-3 – Punishment for Misdemeanors A first-time PFD citation is unlikely to draw jail time, but the maximum is real and a judge has discretion within that range. Each violation counts separately, so missing jackets for several passengers plus a child under 13 without one can stack into a serious fine from a single stop.