Under Massachusetts life jacket law, every boat on state waters must carry one Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person aboard, and specific groups have to wear theirs the entire time the vessel is underway: children under 12, anyone on a personal watercraft, anyone being towed behind a boat, and everyone in a canoe, kayak, or on a paddleboard from September 15 through May 15.
What Every Boat Must Carry
Two statutes set the baseline, split by whether the boat has an engine. Motorboats fall under M.G.L. c. 90B, § 5, which requires at least one wearable, Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device for every person on board.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 5 Unpowered vessels, including canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards, fall under M.G.L. c. 90B, § 5A, which imposes the same one-per-person rule.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 5A
In both cases the device must be the right size for the person who would wear it, kept in good and serviceable condition, and stored where someone can grab it quickly. A life jacket buried in a sealed compartment or stuffed into a dry bag at the far end of a kayak may technically be aboard, but it does not meet the accessibility requirement.
Boats 16 feet or longer need one more item: a throwable flotation device, often called a Type IV, in addition to the wearable life jackets. A seat cushion or ring buoy counts, provided it is in good condition and within easy reach rather than packed under other gear.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 5
A handful of unpowered activities are carved out of § 5A: competitive rowing, sculling, supervised intercollegiate sailing programs, and the use of rafts, surfboards, or sailfish-type vessels.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 5A
Who Has to Wear One
Children Under 12
Every child under 12 must wear a life jacket at all times while above deck on any vessel that is underway, whether that vessel is powered by engine, sail, or oars. The rule lives at 323 CMR 2.07(14), and acceptable devices are Coast Guard-approved Types I, II, III, or V.3Legal Information Institute. 323 CMR 2.07 – Operation
Fit is part of compliance. A jacket that is too big can ride up over a child’s face or come off entirely in the water, so the device needs to match the child’s weight range on the label and have every buckle and strap fastened the way the manufacturer designed. The operator or owner of the vessel, if at least 18, is legally responsible for making sure every child on board is properly equipped before leaving the dock.3Legal Information Institute. 323 CMR 2.07 – Operation
Personal Watercraft
Everyone on a personal watercraft must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times. This is a constant wear requirement, not just a carriage requirement.4Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boating Safety
Water Skiing and Other Towed Sports
Anyone being towed behind a boat, whether water skiing, tubing, or wakeboarding, must wear a Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, or III life jacket. One narrow exception applies: a person wearing a water ski wetsuit may use it in place of a traditional life jacket, but only if the tow boat carries a separate Type I, II, or III device for that skier.3Legal Information Institute. 323 CMR 2.07 – Operation
Canoes and Kayaks in the Cold Months
From September 15 through May 15, every person in a canoe or kayak must wear a Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, or III life jacket at all times. The rule exists because cold-water immersion in fall, winter, and early spring can cause incapacitation or hypothermia within minutes.3Legal Information Institute. 323 CMR 2.07 – Operation
From May 16 through September 14, paddlers do not have to wear the jacket, but they still have to carry one on board for every person in the boat.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 5A
Stand-Up Paddleboards
Massachusetts classifies stand-up paddleboards as vessels, which pulls them under the same rules as canoes and kayaks in § 5A. Once you take a paddleboard beyond the boundaries of a designated swimming, bathing, or surfing area, you must have a wearable Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 5A The September 15 through May 15 wear requirement applies to paddleboards too.
What Counts as Compliant
Three things have to be true for a life jacket to satisfy Massachusetts law. It has to be Coast Guard-approved, of the type the specific activity requires. It has to fit the person who would wear it. And it has to be in good and serviceable condition, which means no rot, no torn fabric, no broken buckles, no busted zippers, and no crumbling foam. A jacket that fails any of those tests is not compliant even if it is physically on the boat. Inspecting your gear before each trip is the simplest way to avoid a citation.
Fines and On-Water Enforcement
The Massachusetts Environmental Police patrol both coastal and inland waters, and local harbor masters can also conduct safety inspections. Officers can stop a vessel to check for proper life jackets and other required equipment.4Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boating Safety
Under M.G.L. c. 90B, § 12A, an officer who observes a vessel being used without the required flotation devices, or in an overloaded or otherwise unsafe condition that presents a substantial risk of injury or death, can terminate the voyage on the spot. The officer can direct you to the nearest mooring and keep you there until the vessel meets all safety requirements.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90B Section 12A
Monetary fines for life jacket violations are set under M.G.L. c. 90B, § 14, and multiple violations found during a single inspection can stack.