Idaho boat rental laws
5 rules for boat and jet ski rental businesses in Idaho, from 2 official sources.
Jet ski rental lawIdaho's rental-specific law covers personal watercraft liveries (Idaho Code § 67-7078): free life jackets and safety gear, a state safety decal on each PWC, instruction of every operator using state materials and the industry 'Play It Safe' video, and a signed acknowledgment carried aboard. No rental-specific rule for other boats was found.
Instruction before every rental
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The livery instructs every person who will operate the PWC on the laws, rules and safe operation as the department prescribes, including the complete reading of “personal watercraft laws and safe operation” and the complete PWIA “Play It Safe” video. Operating a rented PWC before this instruction is unlawful.
Show the official wording
Idaho Code § 67-7078 — Personal watercraft liveries (am. 2022)“(c) Instruct each person that will operate the personal watercraft during the rental or lease period on the laws, rules, and safe operation of the personal watercraft as prescribed by the department;”
Jet ski (PWC) rentals
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Each rental PWC displays the state safety information decal (laws, rules and safety measures) where the operator can clearly see it.
Show the official wording
Idaho Code § 67-7078 — Personal watercraft liveries (am. 2022)“(b) Display a safety information decal provided by the department describing laws, rules, and safety measures pertaining to personal watercraft in a location clearly visible from the operator’s position”
Safety equipment
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Anyone renting out a personal watercraft must provide a USCG-approved life jacket and any other required safety equipment to all renters at no additional charge.
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Idaho Code § 67-7078 — Personal watercraft liveries (am. 2022)“(a) Provide a United States coast guard-approved personal flotation device and any other required safety equipment to all persons who lease, hire, or rent the personal watercraft at no additional charge;”
Records to keep
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The renter gets a written acknowledgment of instruction on department forms listing the names and physical descriptions of everyone allowed to operate; operators carry the “Idaho PWC renter’s acknowledgment of education” aboard for inspection. The department supplies forms, videos and materials free.
Show the official wording
Idaho Code § 67-7078 — Personal watercraft liveries (am. 2022)“Each copy must contain the names and physical description of all persons eligible to operate the personal watercraft during the rental or lease period”
Other rules
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No vessel may go faster than no-wake / 5 mph within 100 feet of a dock, swimmer or other person in the water (skier pick-up/drop-off excepted), or operate negligently within 100 feet of another vessel.
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Idaho Code § 67-7077 — Operation of vessels“(b) At a speed greater than no wake or five (5) miles per hour while within one hundred (100) feet of a dock, swimmer or other person in the water”
Not confirmed yet
What we looked for and could not confirm from an official source. Ask the agency before you assume anything here.
Statutes read from Internet Archive snapshots (Feb and May 2026) of the official pages. Later amendments are not reflected.
No rental-specific rule for boats other than PWCs, no livery licence, no boater-education or minimum renter-age requirement was found in the chapter 70 index; IDAPA 26.01.30 (boating rules) was not read.
Idaho Code § 67-7018 (unlicensed commercial vessels) and outfitter licensing were not checked for rental relevance.
Federal rules still apply
On top of Idaho law, the federal rules apply to every boat you rent out:
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Under federal law a boat leased, rented or chartered to someone else for their pleasure is a “recreational vessel” — so the federal recreational boating rules apply to your rentals.
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46 U.S.C. § 2101 — General definitions“"recreational vessel" means a vessel— (A) being manufactured or operated primarily for pleasure; or (B) leased, rented, or chartered to another for the latter's pleasure.”
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Every recreational vessel needs at least one wearable Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board for each person, used as its approval label says; boats 16 ft or longer also need one throwable device.
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33 CFR § 175.15 — Personal flotation devices required“At least one wearable PFD is on board for each person; … No person may use a recreational vessel 16 feet or more in length unless one throwable PFD is onboard”
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A child under 13 aboard a recreational vessel under way must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket unless below decks or in an enclosed cabin. Where a state has its own child life jacket law, the state age applies on its waters instead.
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33 CFR § 175.15(c) and § 175.25“No person may operate a recreational vessel under way with any child under 13 years old aboard unless each such child is either— ( 1 ) Wearing an appropriate PFD approved by the Coast Guard; or ( 2 ) Below decks or in an enclosed cabin.”
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If the state has a statute requiring children of a certain age to wear a life jacket, that state requirement applies on the state's waters instead of the federal under-13 rule.
Show the official wording
33 CFR § 175.25 — Enforcement of State requirements for children to wear personal flotation devices“If the applicable State statute establishes any requirement for children of a certain age to wear an appropriate PFD approved by the Coast Guard, then that requirement applies on the waters subject to the State's jurisdiction instead of the requirement provided in § 175.15(c) of this part .”
Official agencies
Who makes and enforces these rules in Idaho.
Questions rental operators ask
Do I have to give renters instruction before a rental in Idaho?
The livery instructs every person who will operate the PWC on the laws, rules and safe operation as the department prescribes, including the complete reading of “personal watercraft laws and safe operation” and the complete PWIA “Play It Safe” video. Operating a rented PWC before this instruction is unlawful. Source: legislature.idaho.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
What are the rules for jet ski rentals in Idaho?
Each rental PWC displays the state safety information decal (laws, rules and safety measures) where the operator can clearly see it. Source: legislature.idaho.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
For your renters
Free boating-law page for Idaho on VesselSOS — link it from your booking confirmation.
Idaho boating laws for boatersFree tools for rental operators
Print a safety briefing card, a rental agreement and waiver template or a dock poster. Free, in your browser.
Safety briefing cardRental agreement & waiver templateDock poster All free toolsRun the rental day on one screen.
VesselSOS Fleet checks renters out in 30 seconds and shows every boat and jet ski live until it is back — your customers’ phones are the trackers.
Fleet is a pilot: we are building it with a small group of rental operators for next season. No prices yet.