Louisiana boat rental laws

Instruction before every rental

• Anyone renting a boat over 10 hp from a state-approved livery must watch LDWF's rental boating safety and education video — unless they completed a NASBLA-approved course (with credentials), were born before 1 January 1984, or are a licensed Coast Guard captain.

  Official guidance Business and renter Source: Rental Boating Safety and Education Video · wlf.louisiana.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  LDWF — Boater Education: Rental Boating Safety and Education Video“Anyone renting a boat in excess of 10 HP from a state-approved livery must watch this video. Renters are exempt from watching this video if they have successfully completed a NASBLA-approved boating safety course (must be able to provide credentials), are born before January 1, 1984, or are a licensed USCG captain.”

Boater education card for renters

• After the video a renter has a 48-hour exemption to operate a rented vessel from a state-approved livery; it does not replace the mandatory boater education course.

  Official guidance The renter Source: Rental Boating Safety and Education Video · wlf.louisiana.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  LDWF — Boater Education: Rental Boating Safety and Education Video“After watching this rental boating safety and education video, individuals have a 48-hour exemption to operate a rented vessel from a state-approved livery. This video is not a replacement for the mandatory NASBLA-approved boating education course.”

• Anyone born after 1 January 1984 needs an LDWF-approved boater education course to operate a motorboat over 10 hp (unless accompanied by a qualified person over 18) or any personal watercraft; PWC operators must be 16 or older; carry the card aboard.

  Official guidance The renter Source: Mandatory Boater Education · wlf.louisiana.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  LDWF — Mandatory Boater Education“if you were born after January 1, 1984, you must successfully complete an approved boater education course to operate a personal watercraft. You must also be age 16 or older to operate a personal watercraft.”

Age limits

• All renters under the rental video exemption must be at least 18.

  Official guidance Business and renter Source: Rental Boating Safety and Education Video · wlf.louisiana.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  LDWF — Boater Education: Rental Boating Safety and Education Video“All renters must be at least 18 years old.”

Not confirmed yet

What we looked for and could not confirm from an official source. Ask the agency before you assume anything here.

• The statute text of R.S. 34:851.36(B)(3) — lessor instruction, the latest LDWF rules publication, the signed rental contract kept aboard and retained by the livery, and the renter's statement on suspended privileges — is not confirmed from the statute here.

• How a livery becomes “state-approved”, and whether the rental exemption extends to personal watercraft, is not confirmed.

• No Louisiana licence or permit for the rental business itself was found.

Federal rules still apply

On top of Louisiana law, the federal rules apply to every boat you rent out:

• 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.

  Law Business and renter Source: § 2101(34) · govinfo.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  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.”

• 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.

  Law Business and renter Source: § 175.15(a)–(b) · ecfr.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  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”

• 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.

  Law The renter Source: § 175.15(c) · ecfr.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  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.”

• 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.

  Law The renter Source: § 175.25(b) · ecfr.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

  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 .”

All federal rules and every state →

Official agencies

Who makes and enforces these rules in Louisiana.

• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)Boating law, boater education, approved liveries and the rental safety videowlf.louisiana.gov ↗
• Louisiana State Legislature — Revised StatutesOfficial statute text (R.S. 34:851.36)legis.la.gov ↗