Texas boat rental laws
10 rules for boat and jet ski rental businesses in Texas, from one official source.
Rental-specific lawTexas's Water Safety Act defines the vessel livery and requires liability insurance, instruction before every rental with a signed acknowledgment kept six months, livery registration of rented motorboats and a six-month hire record. Renters may be exempt from the boater education card by commission rule.
Instruction before every rental
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Before releasing a rented vessel, the livery instructs each operator on Chapter 31, the vessel's operating characteristics and the boating rules for the area of operation.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.111 — Operating vessel livery“Before releasing possession of a rented vessel, a vessel livery shall provide each operator of the rented vessel instruction relating to: (1) the provisions of this chapter; (2) operational characteristics of the rented vessel; and (3) boating regulations that apply in the area of operation of the vessel.”
Boater education card for renters
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Anyone born on or after 1 September 1993 operating a vessel over 15 hp, or a windblown vessel over 14 ft, carries photo ID and a boater education card (or Coast Guard licence qualification).
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.109 — Boater education course required for certain persons“This section applies only to a person who is: (1) born on or after September 1, 1993; and (2) operating on the public water of this state: (A) a vessel powered by a motor with a manufacturer's rating of more than 15 horsepower; or (B) a windblown vessel over 14 feet in length.”
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A customer of a boat rental business can be exempted from the boater education requirement by rule of the Parks and Wildlife Commission (the rule itself is listed under “Not confirmed yet”).
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.110 — Exemption from boater education course requirement“is exempt by rule of the commission as a customer of a business engaged in renting, showing, demonstrating, or testing boats;”
Jet ski (PWC) rentals
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On a PWC everyone wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, the lanyard cut-off is attached, no operation between sunset and sunrise, headway speed within 50 ft of vessels, people, objects or shore, and operators under 13 only with an on-board supervisor of 18+.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.106 — Personal watercraft“if the operator is under 13 years of age unless the operator is supervised by another person who: (A) is at least 18 years of age; (B) can lawfully operate the watercraft; and (C) is on board the watercraft when under way;”
Safety equipment
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The operator of a motorboat under 26 ft must make every passenger under 13 wear a wearable life jacket while underway.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.066 — Life preserving devices“The operator of a motorboat less than 26 feet in length, while underway, shall require every passenger under 13 years of age to wear a wearable personal flotation device”
Insurance
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A vessel livery must buy liability insurance from an insurer licensed in Texas.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.111 — Operating vessel livery“A vessel livery must purchase liability insurance from an insurer licensed to do business in this state.”
Records to keep
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Each operator signs an acknowledgment form that they received the instruction; the livery keeps it at least six months.
Show the official wording
Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.111 — Operating vessel livery“the vessel livery shall require each operator to sign an acknowledgment form indicating that the operator has received the required instruction. The vessel livery shall retain the form for at least six months.”
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The livery records the name and address of each person hiring a motorboat, its certificate of number, departure time and date and expected return, and keeps the record six months.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.040 — Vessel liveries“The owner of a vessel livery shall keep a record of the name and address of the persons hiring any vessel operated as a motorboat, the vessel's certificate of number, the time and date of departure, and the expected time of return. The record shall be kept for six months.”
Registering rental boats
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Before a vessel used as a motorboat is rented, the livery obtains its certificate of number; the application states that the applicant is a vessel livery.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.040 — Vessel liveries“Before the vessel is rented or let for hire, the owner or operator of a vessel livery shall obtain a certificate of number for a vessel being used as a motorboat prior to being rented.”
Other rules
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A “vessel livery” is any business establishment renting or hiring out vessels for profit.
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Tex. Parks & Wild. Code ch. 31 (Water Safety Act) § 31.003“"Vessel livery" means a business establishment engaged in renting or hiring out vessels for profit.”
Not confirmed yet
What we looked for and could not confirm from an official source. Ask the agency before you assume anything here.
The Parks and Wildlife Commission rule exempting rental customers from the boater education card (31 Tex. Admin. Code) and its conditions were not read.
Party boats (crewed rentals of boats 30 ft or longer for more than six passengers on inland waters) have their own licensing subchapter (§§ 31.171 ff.), not summarized here.
The text was read from the Internet Archive's copy of the official statute page dated 31 May 2025; amendments after that date are not reflected.
Federal rules still apply
On top of Texas 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.
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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 .”
Official agencies
Who makes and enforces these rules in Texas.
Questions rental operators ask
Do I have to give renters instruction before a rental in Texas?
Before releasing a rented vessel, the livery instructs each operator on Chapter 31, the vessel's operating characteristics and the boating rules for the area of operation. Source: statutes.capitol.texas.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
Does a renter need a boater education card in Texas?
Anyone born on or after 1 September 1993 operating a vessel over 15 hp, or a windblown vessel over 14 ft, carries photo ID and a boater education card (or Coast Guard licence qualification). Source: statutes.capitol.texas.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
What are the rules for jet ski rentals in Texas?
On a PWC everyone wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, the lanyard cut-off is attached, no operation between sunset and sunrise, headway speed within 50 ft of vessels, people, objects or shore, and operators under 13 only with an on-board supervisor of 18+. Source: statutes.capitol.texas.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
For your renters
Free boating-law page for Texas on VesselSOS — link it from your booking confirmation.
Texas 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.
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