Arizona boat rental laws

Age limits

• Except in an emergency, no one under 12 may operate a watercraft with a motor over 8 hp unless a parent, guardian or person 18+ is aboard, and no one may allow a child under 12 to operate a motor-powered watercraft otherwise.

  Law Business and renter Source: A.R.S. § 5-341(E), (F) · azleg.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  A.R.S. § 5-341 — Negligent operation of watercraft; restriction in operation of watercraft“E. Except in case of emergency no person under the age of twelve years may operate a watercraft propelled by a motor of greater than eight horsepower unless the person's parent or legal guardian or at least one person who is eighteen years of age or older is present on the watercraft.”

Jet ski (PWC) rentals

• Everyone aboard a PWC wears a USCG-approved life jacket and the operator attaches the cut-off lanyard. Anyone who owns, leases or hires out a PWC, or has charge of it, may not knowingly permit it to be operated in violation of these rules.

  Law Business and renter Source: A.R.S. § 5-350(A), (B), (F) · azleg.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  A.R.S. § 5-350 — Personal watercraft; requirements for operation“F. A person who owns, leases or hires a personal watercraft or who has charge or control over a personal watercraft shall not authorize or knowingly permit the personal watercraft to be operated in violation of this section.”

Safety equipment

• Neither the livery owner nor an agent or employee may let any watercraft be operated from the premises unless it carries the equipment required by chapter 3, provided by owner or renter.

  Law The rental business Source: A.R.S. § 5-371(B) · azleg.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  A.R.S. § 5-371 — Boat liveries; requirements“B. Neither the owner of a boat livery nor his agent or employee shall permit any watercraft to be operated from his premises unless it shall have been provided, either by the owner or renter, with the equipment required by this chapter.”

Records to keep

• The owner of a boat livery records each hirer’s name and address, the watercraft’s identification number, the departure date and time and the expected and actual return times, and keeps the record at least three months.

  Law The rental business Source: A.R.S. § 5-371(A) · azleg.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  A.R.S. § 5-371 — Boat liveries; requirements“the identification number thereof, the departure date and time and the expected and actual time of return. Such record shall be preserved for at least three months.”

Registering rental boats

• For a watercraft under 26 feet rented for non-commercial use of less than 24 hours, the owner may keep the certificate of number ashore at the departure point; the craft must then be identified as Game and Fish Commission regulations prescribe.

  Law The rental business Source: A.R.S. § 5-371(C) · azleg.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  A.R.S. § 5-371 — Boat liveries; requirements“C. The certificate of number for a watercraft less than twenty-six feet in length that is leased or rented to a person for noncommercial use of less than twenty-four hours may be retained on shore by the owner or his representative”

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 or insurance requirement was found in A.R.S. Title 5, chapter 3.

• Arizona Game and Fish Commission rules (A.A.C.

Federal rules still apply

On top of Arizona 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 Arizona.

• Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentWatercraft registration, boating rules and enforcementazgfd.com ↗
• Arizona State Legislature — A.R.S. Title 5, chapter 3 (Boating and Water Sports)Official statute textazleg.gov ↗