Washington’s life jacket law requires every boat on state waters to carry one U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board, and children 12 and under have to actually wear theirs whenever the vessel is underway on boats under 19 feet.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 79A.60.160 – Personal Flotation Devices Required – Penalty Anyone riding a personal watercraft or being towed behind a boat also has to wear one. Adults on most other vessels only need a jacket available and within reach.
Who Has to Wear a Life Jacket
Three groups must have a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on their body, not just nearby.
Children 12 and under. Any child that age must wear a properly sized life jacket at all times while on an open deck or in an open cockpit of a vessel under 19 feet that is underway. Underway includes motoring, sailing, and drifting; the requirement ends when the boat is anchored, moored, or aground. The statute allows three exceptions: the child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin, the boat is a Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel, or there is no reasonable danger of drowning. That last exception is narrow and law enforcement reads it conservatively.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 79A.60.160 – Personal Flotation Devices Required – Penalty
Fit is part of compliance. An adult jacket on a small child does not count. Check the weight range on the label and confirm the jacket does not ride up past the ears in the water.
Everyone on a personal watercraft. All riders on a PWC must wear a Type I, II, or III Coast Guard-approved life jacket, regardless of age. Stashing one in the storage compartment does not satisfy the law.2Washington Recreation & Conservation Office. Life Jackets – Boating
Anyone being towed. Water skiers, wakeboarders, tubers, and anyone else on a towline must wear a Type I, II, or III jacket. Inflatables are not recommended for towed sports or PWC use because the impact of a fall at speed can prevent proper inflation.2Washington Recreation & Conservation Office. Life Jackets – Boating
Adults on other recreational vessels are not required to wear a jacket, but one has to be readily accessible for each person on board. Readily accessible means you can grab it without unlocking a compartment or digging through gear.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 79A.60.160 – Personal Flotation Devices Required – Penalty
What Your Boat Has to Carry
The number and type of devices depend on the length of the vessel.
- Under 16 feet, plus all canoes and kayaks (any length): One Type I, II, or III wearable PFD for each person on board. No throwable device required.
- 16 feet or longer (except canoes and kayaks): One Type I, II, or III wearable PFD per person, plus one Type IV throwable device that is immediately available.
A Type V PFD can substitute for any required type only if it is Coast Guard-approved for the specific activity and used according to its label.3Washington State Legislature. WAC 352-60-030 – Personal Flotation Devices Required
The throwable rule catches boaters off guard. A ring buoy or throwable cushion is inexpensive to stow, but running a 16-foot or longer boat without one is a violation even when every passenger has a wearable on.
Stand-up paddleboards, canoes, and kayaks are treated as vessels under Washington boating rules.4Washington State Parks. Paddlesports A paddleboarder needs a Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, or III jacket on the board and a sound-producing device such as a whistle. Adults on paddlecraft do not have to wear the jacket, but children 12 and under still do under the general rule.
What Counts as a Legal Life Jacket
A jacket satisfies the law only if it meets all three of these conditions:
- Coast Guard-approved. The approval label is usually sewn inside. No label means no compliance.
- Correct size. The jacket has to match the wearer’s weight and chest size shown on the label.
- Good and serviceable condition. No broken buckles, corroded hardware, ripped straps, rotted fabric, hardened or waterlogged foam, or open seams leaking buoyant material.
These standards come from WAC 352-60-030.3Washington State Legislature. WAC 352-60-030 – Personal Flotation Devices Required
Inflatable PFDs are legal if they are Coast Guard-approved and properly armed. The CO2 cartridge must be full, status indicators must show the device is armed, the oral inflation tube must be clear, the manual inflation lanyard has to be intact and accessible, and the chambers have to hold air. An inflatable can pass a visual check on land and still fail in the water if the cartridge is spent or the auto-inflate mechanism is corroded, so inspect it before every trip.3Washington State Legislature. WAC 352-60-030 – Personal Flotation Devices Required
Penalties
For recreational boaters, a life jacket violation is a civil infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW. It creates no criminal record. The monetary penalty ranges from $10 to $500 per offense, set by a court-adopted schedule.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 7.84.100
Commercial operators face more. If a vessel carries passengers for hire and fails to meet PFD requirements, the violation is a misdemeanor punishable under RCW 9.92.030.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 79A.60.160 – Personal Flotation Devices Required – Penalty
The children’s wear rule is enforceable as a primary action. An officer can stop a boat solely because a child appears to be without a life jacket, without observing any other violation first.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 79A.60.160 – Personal Flotation Devices Required – Penalty