South Dakota boat rental laws

Age limits

• No owner of a motorboat over 6 hp may allow anyone under 12 to operate it unless accompanied by someone at least 18 (PWCs have their own rule).

  Law The rental business Source: SDCL 42-8-69 · sdlegislature.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  SDCL 42-8-69 — Age requirement for driving certain motorboats“No owner of a motorboat which is propelled by a motor of more than six horsepower may allow any person under twelve years of age to operate such a motorboat unless such person is accompanied by a person of at least eighteen years of age.”

Jet ski (PWC) rentals

• PWC: everyone aboard wears a USCG-approved life jacket, lanyard attached, no operation sunset to sunrise without required navigation lights, slow-no-wake within 150 ft of docks, swimmers and non-motorized boats. No one under 14 may operate without a person 18+ aboard, and owners may not permit it.

  Law Business and renter Source: SDCL 42-8-102 · sdlegislature.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  SDCL 42-8-102 — Personal watercraft — Rules of operation — Age requirement“no person under the age of fourteen may operate or be permitted to operate a personal watercraft, regardless of horsepower, unless there is a person eighteen years of age or older on board the craft. No owner of a personal watercraft may permit the personal watercraft to be operated by such underage person.”

Safety equipment

• Neither the owner nor an agent or employee may let any boat depart from the owner’s premises unless it carries the equipment required by Game, Fish and Parks rules, provided by owner or renter.

  Law The rental business Source: SDCL 42-8-41 · sdlegislature.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  SDCL 42-8-41 — Boats — Required equipment — Penalty“Neither the owner of a boat, nor the owner's agent or employee, may permit any motorboat or any boat to depart from the owner's premises unless it is provided, either by owner or renter, with the equipment required pursuant to such rules.”

Records to keep

• The owner of boats for hire records each hirer’s name and address, the boat’s identification number, the number of persons assigned, the departure date and time and the expected return; records are kept at least six months and open to law enforcement at any time.

  Law The rental business Source: SDCL 42-8-60 · sdlegislature.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  SDCL 42-8-60 — Records maintained by owners of boats for hire“The owner of a boat or boats for hire shall keep a record of the name and address of the person or persons hiring any boat; the identification number thereof; number of persons assigned to said boat; the departure date and time, and the expected time of return.”

Not confirmed yet

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

• No state licence for rental businesses, pre-rental instruction rule, boater-education requirement for renters or insurance requirement was found in SDCL chapter 42-8.

• SDCL chapter 32-3A (boat registration) and Game, Fish and Parks rules (ARSD 41:04) were not reviewed for for-hire provisions.

Federal rules still apply

On top of South Dakota 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

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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.”

• 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

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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”

• 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

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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.”

• 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

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  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 South Dakota.

• South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and ParksBoating rules and enforcementgfp.sd.gov ↗
• South Dakota Legislature — Codified Laws chapter 42-8 (Watercraft)Official statute textsdlegislature.gov ↗