The New York State life jacket law requires children under 12 to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on almost any boat that’s underway, requires everyone on a pleasure vessel under 21 feet to wear one from November 1 through May 1, and requires every boat on state waters to carry one wearable life jacket per person on board. The core rules sit in Navigation Law § 40, with separate provisions for personal watercraft and towed water sports. Fines run $25 to $100 per violation.1New York State Senate. New York Navigation Law NAV 40 – Equipment
Children Under 12
Navigation Law § 40(1)(d) requires every child under 12 to wear a securely fastened, Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever the vessel is underway. This covers pleasure vessels in Classes A through 3 — any boat up to 65 feet — along with rowboats, canoes, and kayaks.1New York State Senate. New York Navigation Law NAV 40 – Equipment
Underway means the boat isn’t anchored, moored, or tied to a dock. Once you’re drifting, motoring, or sailing, the rule is in effect. There is one exception: a child under 12 who is inside a fully enclosed cabin doesn’t have to be wearing the jacket.1New York State Senate. New York Navigation Law NAV 40 – Equipment Open cockpits, open bows, and center consoles don’t qualify.
Fit matters too. An adult jacket on a small child isn’t compliant and is genuinely unsafe, because it can ride up over the child’s head in the water. Check the weight range printed on the label and match it to the child.
Cold-Season Wear Rule: November 1 Through May 1
From November 1 through May 1, every person on a pleasure vessel under 21 feet must wear a life jacket while the boat is underway. Age doesn’t matter — adults are included — and the rule covers rowboats, canoes, and kayaks along with powerboats.1New York State Senate. New York Navigation Law NAV 40 – Equipment
Cold water is the reason. A sudden immersion triggers a gasp reflex, then costs you the use of your hands and arms within minutes, then unconsciousness from hypothermia. New York water stays cold well into spring, which is why the mandate runs through the end of April. Smaller boats also sit lower to the water and capsize more easily, which is where the 21-foot cutoff comes from. If you’re heading out in a 19-foot boat in March, everyone needs the jacket on, not stowed.
Jet Skis and Towed Water Sports
Personal watercraft are governed by Navigation Law § 73-a, not § 40. Every person on a jet ski or similar craft must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times. There’s no seasonal window, no age carve-out, and no minimum length.2Justia Law. New York Navigation Law 73-A – Regulations of Personal Watercraft and Specialty Prop-Craft
Anyone being towed for water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, or similar activities must wear a life jacket as well. Under § 73, the operator of the towing vessel is responsible for making sure the person in the water is properly equipped before the tow begins.3Justia Law. New York Navigation Law 73 – Towing of Persons
What Every Boat Must Carry
Even when nobody is required to be wearing one, every pleasure vessel on New York waters — canoes and kayaks included — must have one Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket on board for each person.4New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. PFD Laws of New York Each one has to be the right size for its intended wearer and in serviceable condition: no ripped fabric, no broken buckles, no waterlogged foam.
Boats 16 feet and longer, other than canoes and kayaks, must also carry a Type IV throwable device such as a ring buoy or throwable cushion. It has to be immediately accessible, not buried in a storage compartment.
Inflatables and Older Labels
Inflatable life jackets are lighter and more comfortable, but they aren’t approved for children under 16. If you’re using inflatables to meet the carriage requirement, every child on board still needs a standard foam jacket in the right size.
Type V inflatables, the most common recreational style, only count toward the carriage requirement while they’re actually being worn and properly armed. Stowing one under a seat doesn’t satisfy the law.
The Coast Guard has moved from the older Type I–V categories to a performance-based labeling system. Older jackets with legacy type labels are still legal as long as they’re Coast Guard-approved and in good condition. New ones will show performance-level icons instead of type numbers.
Fines and Civil Exposure
A violation of any life jacket provision under § 40 carries a fine of $25 to $100.1New York State Senate. New York Navigation Law NAV 40 – Equipment The statute doesn’t set a separate range for repeat offenses under this section. A marine patrol officer who finds inadequate safety equipment can also order you back to shore, which ends the day on the water.
The larger risk is civil. If a passenger is hurt or drowns and wasn’t wearing a life jacket, the operator can face a negligence claim for failing to make sure everyone was properly equipped. In wrongful death cases, the absence of a jacket tends to become a central fact, and an injured person’s own recovery can be reduced if a court finds they share fault for not wearing available gear. The fine is a nuisance; the exposure from a serious accident is not.