Kansas boat rental laws

Boater education card for renters

• A person born on or after 1 January 1989 needs a boater safety education certificate to operate a motorboat or sailboat, unless 21 or older or directly supervised by someone over 17 who holds a certificate or is exempt.

  Law The renter Source: K.S.A. 32-1139(a)(1), (a)(3), (b) · ksrevisor.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  K.S.A. 32-1139 — Boating safety education, certificate of completion required for certain operators“(1) No person born on or after January 1, 1989, shall operate on public waters of this state any motorboat or sailboat unless the person possesses a certificate of completion … (3) The requirement in subsection (a)(1), shall not apply to a person 21 years of age or older.”

• No owner or person in possession of a motorboat or sailboat may let someone subject to the education requirement operate it unless that person holds a certificate or is legally exempt.

  Law The rental business Source: K.S.A. 32-1139(a)(2) · ksrevisor.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  K.S.A. 32-1139 — Boating safety education, certificate of completion required for certain operators“(2) No owner or person in possession of any motorboat or sailboat shall permit another person, who is subject to the requirements in subsection (a)(1), to operate such motorboat or sailboat unless such other person either:”

Jet ski (PWC) rentals

• A boat livery may not rent a personal watercraft to, or for operation by, anyone who has not met the boater education requirements of K.S.A. 32-1139.

  Law The rental business Source: K.A.R. 115-30-10(c) · rules.ks.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  K.A.R. 115-30-10 — Personal watercraft; definition, requirements, and restrictions (amended 26 Apr 2024)“(c) A boat livery shall not lease, hire, or rent a personal watercraft to, or for the operation by, any person who has not met the boater education requirements as specified in K.S.A. 32-1139 and amendments thereto.”

• Everyone aboard a PWC wears a USCG-approved life jacket, the operator attaches the cut-off lanyard, no PWC operation between sunset and sunrise, and no-wake (5 mph or less) within 200 feet of docks, ramps, swimmers, moored vessels, non-motorized craft and similar.

  Law The renter Source: K.A.R. 115-30-10(b)(1)–(4) · rules.ks.gov ↗ Checked October 18, 2026

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  K.A.R. 115-30-10 — Personal watercraft; definition, requirements, and restrictions (amended 26 Apr 2024)“(3) A person shall not operate a personal watercraft between sunset and sunrise. (4) Each person shall operate a personal watercraft at no-wake speeds of five miles per hour or less when within 200 feet of the following:”

Not confirmed yet

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

• No Kansas statute or regulation specific to renting boats other than PWCs was found (K.S.A. chapter 32 article 11 index and K.A.R. 115-30 list searched): no livery licence, record, insurance or briefing rule.

• KDWP pages (ksoutdoors.gov) returned 'Access Denied' to automated reading; KDWP rental guidance was not reviewed.

Federal rules still apply

On top of Kansas 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 Kansas.

• Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP)Boater education, boating regulations (K.A.R. 115-30), enforcementksoutdoors.gov ↗
• Kansas Secretary of State — Kansas Administrative RegulationsOfficial regulation textrules.ks.gov ↗
• Kansas Office of Revisor of StatutesOfficial statute text (K.S.A. chapter 32, article 11)ksrevisor.gov ↗