Texas boat laws require nearly every vessel on public water to be registered and titled with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, carry Coast Guard-approved safety equipment, and be operated by someone who meets the state’s age and education rules. Penalties run from $25 for a minor equipment problem to felony prison time for causing a death while boating drunk, and Texas Game Wardens enforce the rules year-round.
Registration and Titling
Every motorized vessel, no matter how short, and every non-motorized vessel 14 feet or longer (including sailboats) must be registered to be on Texas public water. That rule covers boats that are docked, moored, or stored on public water, not just boats actively underway. Coast Guard-documented vessels still have to register with the state.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Registration Requirements
You register through TPWD or an authorized county tax assessor-collector’s office. Fees depend on length:2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fee Chart for Boats and Outboard Motors
- Under 16 feet (Class A): $32
- 16 to under 26 feet (Class 1): $53
- 26 to under 40 feet (Class 2): $110
- 40 feet or more (Class 3): $150
Registration lasts two years. TPWD issues a certificate of number and validation decals. The registration number goes on both sides of the bow in block letters at least three inches high, in a color that contrasts with the hull, and the decals sit within six inches of the number. Proof of registration has to be on board any time the boat is on the water. Operating with an expired or missing number carries a fine of $100 to $500.3Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code – Chapter 31 Disposition of Fines
Titles are a separate document that proves ownership, similar to a car title. Texas requires titling for all motorized vessels, all non-motorized vessels 14 feet or longer, and all internal combustion outboard motors. Outboard motors 40 years old or older and 25 horsepower or less are exempt.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Title Requirements
When a boat changes hands, the seller signs over the original title and provides a signed bill of sale, and completes the tax affidavit on the Vessel/Boat Application (Form PWD 143). The buyer then has 45 working days from the purchase date to file the transfer application and pay applicable fees. Missing that window triggers tax penalties and interest.5Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Buying and Selling a Boat in Texas
TPWD is direct about buying used: do not take delivery of a boat without an original title signed front and back, plus a signed bill of sale, from the person actually listed on the title. If the paperwork is missing, the buyer may have to pursue a bonded title, which requires a surety bond for one and a half times the appraised value and stays on file with TPWD for three years.6Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Statement of Fact for Boat and/or Outboard Motor Bonded Title Review
Safety Equipment You Have to Carry
Missing gear is one of the most common reasons a game warden writes a citation. Some violations can also send you back to shore until the problem is fixed.
Life Jackets
Every vessel needs a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device for each person on board, properly sized, in good condition, and readily accessible. Boats 16 feet or longer must also carry a throwable device, such as a ring buoy or Type IV cushion.7Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Powerboats 16 Feet but Less Than 26 Feet In Length – Required Safety Equipment
Children under 13 must wear a life jacket at all times while a vessel under 26 feet is underway. On a personal watercraft, every rider wears a PFD regardless of age.8Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fishing With a Boat
Fire Extinguishers
Most motorized boats with permanently installed fuel tanks or enclosed spaces that could trap fumes must carry portable, Coast Guard-approved fire extinguishers. A boat under 26 feet needs at least one 5-B rated extinguisher; a boat 26 to under 40 feet needs two 5-B extinguishers (or a single 20-B). A vessel under 26 feet powered by an outboard may be exempt if the construction won’t trap flammable gases.9eCFR. 33 CFR Part 175 – Equipment Requirements
Navigation Lights and Sound Devices
Between sunset and sunrise, or in reduced visibility, boats must show the navigation lights their class requires: red and green sidelights and a white stern light for powerboats. A sailboat under sail alone uses sidelights and a stern light; the moment its engine is running, it follows powerboat rules. Any vessel not at a dock must show at least one bright light from sunset to sunrise. Personal watercraft can’t be operated at night because they can’t carry the required lights.10State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Section 31.064
All motorized boats must carry a whistle, horn, or similar sound-producing device. Vessels over 39.4 feet must also carry a bell under federal rules.7Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Powerboats 16 Feet but Less Than 26 Feet In Length – Required Safety Equipment
Engine Cut-Off Switch
Federal law, which applies on Texas waters, requires the operator of any motorized recreational vessel under 26 feet with three or more horsepower to use an engine cut-off switch link when operating on plane or above displacement speed. The link is usually a coiled lanyard clipped to the operator or the PFD, though wireless versions exist.11United States Coast Guard Boating. Engine Cut-Off Switches
Who Can Operate and Boater Education
Anyone born on or after September 1, 1993, must complete a TPWD-certified boater education course and carry a valid photo ID to operate a vessel powered by more than 15 horsepower or a windblown vessel over 14 feet. The same requirement applies to every personal watercraft operator, regardless of birth date. People born before September 1, 1993, are exempt from the course but still have to follow every other rule.12Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Mandatory Boater Education
The minimum age to operate a boat alone is 13. A child under 13 may operate a vessel with more than 15 horsepower or a personal watercraft only when accompanied on board by someone at least 18 years old who can lawfully operate the vessel.13Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Boater Education FAQ
Approved courses run online and in person. Online fees typically fall between $30 and $60; some classroom courses through TPWD or volunteer instructors are free.
Boating While Intoxicated
Texas treats boating while intoxicated the way it treats drunk driving. You’re legally intoxicated at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, or if you’ve lost the normal use of your mental or physical faculties from alcohol, drugs, or a combination. Open containers are legal on boats, but that doesn’t shield an impaired operator from a BWI arrest.14Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Operation of Your Boat
Penalties climb sharply with repeat offenses:
- First offense (Class B misdemeanor): fine up to $2,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both
- Second offense: fine up to $4,000, up to one year in jail, or both
- Third offense: fine up to $10,000, two to ten years in prison, or both
Causing serious bodily injury while intoxicated is intoxication assault, a third-degree felony carrying two to ten years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Causing a death is intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony carrying two to twenty years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. A BWI conviction can also affect your driver’s license.14Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Operation of Your Boat
Speed, Wake, and Reckless Operation
Texas doesn’t set a numeric speed limit for boats. You’re required to operate at a safe speed for traffic, weather, and visibility. Reckless or wanton operation that endangers people or property is a separate offense carrying a fine of $200 to $2,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both. No-wake zones near marinas, harbors, and ramps require idle-speed operation, and the reckless statute can apply when a wake endangers people or property.14Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Operation of Your Boat
If You’re in an Accident
A written accident report goes to local law enforcement or TPWD within 30 days if the incident caused a death, a missing person, an injury requiring more than first aid, or property damage over $2,000.15Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Boating Accidents
Anyone involved must also stop, render aid to anyone injured, and exchange identification and vessel information with the other parties. Failing to stop and render aid after an accident that causes death or serious bodily injury is a Parks and Wildlife Code felony, comparable in category to a hit-and-run on the highway.3Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code – Chapter 31 Disposition of Fines
Invasive Species Duties
Boaters carry legal responsibility for stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species. Before you approach or leave any public freshwater body, drain all water from your boat and gear. Any harmful or potentially harmful aquatic plant clinging to the vessel, trailer, or tow vehicle has to be removed and lawfully disposed of on the spot. A first offense carries a fine up to $500; a repeat can mean up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.16Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Clean, Drain, Dry Your Boat
Zebra and quagga mussels are treated separately. Possessing or transporting these mussels, dead or alive, is illegal, even if you didn’t know they were attached. A boat stored in a Texas lake known to harbor them, or coming from an out-of-state lake with them, has to be decontaminated before launching elsewhere. To move a boat with attached mussels to a maintenance facility, notify TPWD at least 72 hours in advance. The department runs a 24/7 hotline at (512) 389-4848 for decontamination guidance.17Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Resources for Marinas and Boat Owners – Fighting Aquatic Invaders
Penalties at a Glance
The common violations and what they cost:
- Class C Parks and Wildlife misdemeanor for minor equipment violations or improper display of registration: fines of $25 to $50018Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Laws, Penalties and Restitution
- Expired or missing registration number: $100 to $5003Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code – Chapter 31 Disposition of Fines
- Reckless or dangerous operation: $200 to $2,000 fine, up to 180 days in jail, or both
- Boating while intoxicated (first offense): up to $2,000 fine, up to 180 days in jail
- Failure to stop and render aid after a fatal accident: Parks and Wildlife Code felony
- Intoxication manslaughter: second-degree felony, two to twenty years in prison
One boundary worth naming: Texas does not require boat owners to carry liability insurance. Many marinas require proof of coverage before letting you dock, and anyone who causes property damage or injury on the water can face a civil lawsuit on top of any criminal case, so operating uninsured is a real financial exposure even where the law doesn’t force the issue.