Indiana life jacket laws require every recreational boat on public water to carry one U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board, add a throwable device once the boat reaches 16 feet, and go a step further for personal watercraft riders, anyone being towed, and children under 13 on shared boundary waters, all of whom must actually wear a jacket. Miss any of those and you’re looking at a Class C infraction written to the operator.
What Every Boat Must Carry
Indiana Code 14-15-2-6(b) sets the baseline: one wearable, Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on the boat. Five people, five jackets. The approved wearables are Type I, II, III, and V devices.1Indiana State Government. What Kind of Life Jackets Do I Have to Have Onboard My Boat
Boats 16 feet or longer must also carry a throwable Type IV device — a ring buoy or throwable cushion — in addition to the wearables. Canoes and kayaks are exempt from the throwable rule no matter how long they are.1Indiana State Government. What Kind of Life Jackets Do I Have to Have Onboard My Boat
Racing shells, rowing sculls, and racing canoes and kayaks are exempt from federal carriage requirements altogether, but the exemption is narrow. It covers competitive racing vessels only, not recreational rowboats or touring kayaks.2eCFR. 33 CFR 175.17 – Exemptions
Who Has to Wear One
Carrying jackets isn’t always enough. In several situations, Indiana law requires the jacket to be on the person.
Personal Watercraft
Everyone on a personal watercraft must wear a Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket at all times. That includes the operator, every passenger, and anyone being towed behind the PWC. Indiana Code 14-15-12-7 requires a Type I, II, III, or V device. Inflatable jackets do not satisfy this rule.3U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division. State Boating Laws
Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, and Tubing
Anyone being towed behind any vessel on skis, a wakeboard, a tube, or similar equipment must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. This applies on all Indiana waters. Inflatable jackets are again not allowed for towed activities.3U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division. State Boating Laws
Children Under 13 on Boundary Waters
On Indiana’s waters of concurrent jurisdiction — Lake Michigan, the Ohio River, the Great Miami River, and the portion of the Wabash River forming the Indiana-Illinois border — every child under 13 must wear a life jacket. The only exceptions are when the child is below deck in an enclosed cabin or when the vessel is docked or anchored.
On Indiana’s inland lakes and rivers that are not boundary waters, there is no separate mandatory-wear law for children. A properly sized life jacket still has to be on board for each child, and the DNR recommends children wear them at all times.
Extra Rules on Boundary Waters
Indiana shares several waterways with other states and the federal government, and the state calls these “waters of concurrent jurisdiction”: Indiana’s portion of Lake Michigan, the Ohio River, the Great Miami River, and the Wabash River where it borders Illinois. The U.S. Coast Guard can enforce on these waters alongside Indiana conservation officers, so a stop can come from either agency.
Beyond the child-wear rule, boundary waters add equipment. Boats under 39.4 feet must carry a whistle, horn, or other sound-producing device audible for at least half a mile. Boats 39.4 feet and longer need both a horn and a bell audible for at least one mile. If the waterway is wider than two miles from shore to shore, boats must also carry Coast Guard-approved visual distress signals for both day and night use.
A boat that’s fully compliant on Geist Reservoir or Lake Monroe can be missing required gear the moment it enters Lake Michigan. Check the equipment list before you trailer to a shared waterway.
Condition, Fit, and Storage
A life jacket only counts toward the carriage requirement if it is in serviceable condition. If an Indiana marine inspector finds a jacket unserviceable, the inspector will mark it. You then have to replace it on the spot or reduce your passenger count so that everyone on board still has a working jacket.4Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School). Indiana Code 312 IAC 5-14-16 – Personal Flotation Devices (Life Preservers or Life Jackets)
Ripped fabric, broken buckles, torn straps, and corroded hardware all fail the test. Fit matters as much as condition. Each jacket has to match the intended wearer’s weight and chest size, so a child in an adult jacket is not compliant, and an oversized jacket can slip off in the water.1Indiana State Government. What Kind of Life Jackets Do I Have to Have Onboard My Boat
Jackets must be readily accessible, not locked in a compartment or still sealed in the store packaging. Indiana’s administrative code also requires that any storage container be clearly marked “Life Preservers” or “Life Jackets,” and that different sizes be stored separately.4Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School). Indiana Code 312 IAC 5-14-16 – Personal Flotation Devices (Life Preservers or Life Jackets)
Inflatable Jacket Upkeep
If you use an inflatable jacket where they’re allowed (they are not allowed on personal watercraft or for towed sports), the CO2 cylinder needs attention. Replace the cylinder any time the jacket inflates, whether by accident or during testing. Before each outing, confirm the cylinder is intact and tightly secured, and manually inflate the jacket to check for leaks.
Approved Types and the New Coast Guard Labels
Indiana law references the traditional Coast Guard type system: Type I (offshore), Type II (near-shore), Type III (flotation aid), Type IV (throwable), and Type V (special use). Jackets carrying those labels are still legal. The Coast Guard confirmed in its 2024 harmonization rule that existing life jackets approved under the old system continue to satisfy carriage requirements as long as they are in good and serviceable condition.5Federal Register. Lifejacket Approval Harmonization
New jackets built under the updated standards use pictorial labels showing the conditions and activities each jacket is designed for, rather than type codes. When shopping, you may see either format. Both are legal.5Federal Register. Lifejacket Approval Harmonization
Penalties
Most life jacket violations in Indiana are Class C infractions. A Class C infraction carries a maximum fine of $500, plus court costs.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 34 Civil Law and Procedure 34-28-5-4 – Infraction Judgments
The citation goes to the boat’s operator. Not to the passenger without a jacket, not to the parent of a child not wearing one. Missing or unserviceable jackets are among the most common violations conservation officers write up during safety inspections.
Who Counts as the Operator
To operate a motorboat with more than 10 horsepower in Indiana, you must either hold a valid driver’s license or be at least 15 years old and have completed an approved boater education course with an identification card from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.7Indiana State Government. At What Age May a Person Operate a Motorboat
Whoever legally operates the boat carries legal responsibility for the safety equipment on board. A 15-year-old with a boater education card taking friends out on a pontoon is personally on the hook if a jacket is missing or a child on boundary waters isn’t wearing one. Worth knowing before handing over the keys.