Maryland boat rental laws
8 rules for boat and jet ski rental businesses in Maryland, from 3 official sources.
Rental-specific lawMaryland regulates livery vessel operation (COMAR 08.04.08): required safety equipment on every departure, a rental record kept 30 days, and no rentals to operators born after 1 July 1972 without a boating safety certificate. PWC liveries also display the PWC rules, get a signed statement and rent only to people 16 or older.
Instruction before every rental
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A PWC livery must prominently display Maryland's PWC regulations (COMAR 08.18.02), tell renters to read them, and include in the rental contract a statement that the renter has read and understands them.
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COMAR 08.04.08.02 — Personal Watercraft Livery Operation“Prominently display the personal watercraft regulations in COMAR 08.18.02 ; (2) Advise renters or operators to read COMAR 08.18.02 ;”
Boater education card for renters
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A livery may not rent or lease a vessel to an operator born after 1 July 1972 unless the operator has a Maryland boating safety certificate (Natural Resources Article § 8-712.2).
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COMAR 08.04.08.01 — Livery Vessel Operation“A livery vessel owner or his agent or employee may not rent or lease a vessel to an operator born after July 1, 1972, unless that operator possesses a boating safety certificate”
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With a valid agreement with DNR, PWC renters are exempt from the certificate; the livery then provides boating education materials, gives each operator a written test (90% minimum), and provides DNR-certified guides on waters where DNR requires them.
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COMAR 08.04.08.02 — Personal Watercraft Livery Operation“An operator of a personal watercraft rented from a livery owner is exempt from the requirements of Natural Resources Article, §8-712 .2, Annotated Code of Maryland, if the livery owner has entered into a valid agreement with the Department.”
Age limits
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A PWC may be rented only to a renter aged 16 or older who, if born after 1 July 1972, has a boating safety certificate.
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COMAR 08.04.08.02 — Personal Watercraft Livery Operation“may not lease or rent a personal watercraft unless the renter is 16 years old or older and, if born after July 1, 1972, possesses a boating safety certificate”
Jet ski (PWC) rentals
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No one may operate — or give permission to operate — a PWC unless everyone aboard wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket; no PWC operation between sunset and sunrise or in restricted visibility; the lanyard cut-off must be attached.
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COMAR 08.18.02.05 — Personal Watercraft: Restrictions“A person may not operate or give permission to operate a personal watercraft on the waters of the State: (1) Between sunset and sunrise; or (2) Within an area of restricted visibility.”
Safety equipment
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No livery vessel may leave the premises unless it carries the lifesaving and safety equipment required by Maryland law, supplied by the livery or the renter.
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COMAR 08.04.08.01 — Livery Vessel Operation“A livery vessel owner or his agent or employee may not permit any vessel to depart from his premises unless equipped, either by the livery owner or the person renting the vessel, with the lifesaving and safety equipment required”
Records to keep
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For every rental the livery keeps a record of the vessel's Maryland number and motor horsepower, the names and addresses of everyone aboard, an emergency contact not on board, departure and expected return times, and the safety equipment aboard and who supplied it — for at least 30 days.
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COMAR 08.04.08.01 — Livery Vessel Operation“Name and phone number of an emergency contact person not on board at the time of departure; (d) Date and time of departure and expected time of return; and (e) Lifesaving and safety equipment on board, and by whom furnished. (2) This record shall be preserved for at least 30 days”
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The livery keeps the statement signed by the renter and rider for at least 30 days and shows it to DNR on request.
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COMAR 08.04.08.02 — Personal Watercraft Livery Operation“Retain the statement signed by the renter and rider for at least 30 days and make it available to the Department upon request.”
Not confirmed yet
What we looked for and could not confirm from an official source. Ask the agency before you assume anything here.
No Maryland licence or permit for the rental business itself was found in COMAR 08.04.08.
The jet pack livery rules (COMAR 08.04.08.03) were not reviewed.
Federal rules still apply
On top of Maryland 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 Maryland.
Questions rental operators ask
Do I have to give renters instruction before a rental in Maryland?
A PWC livery must prominently display Maryland's PWC regulations (COMAR 08.18.02), tell renters to read them, and include in the rental contract a statement that the renter has read and understands them. Source: dsd.maryland.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
Does a renter need a boater education card in Maryland?
A livery may not rent or lease a vessel to an operator born after 1 July 1972 unless the operator has a Maryland boating safety certificate (Natural Resources Article § 8-712.2). Source: dsd.maryland.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
How old must a renter be in Maryland?
A PWC may be rented only to a renter aged 16 or older who, if born after 1 July 1972, has a boating safety certificate. Source: dsd.maryland.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
What are the rules for jet ski rentals in Maryland?
No one may operate — or give permission to operate — a PWC unless everyone aboard wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket; no PWC operation between sunset and sunrise or in restricted visibility; the lanyard cut-off must be attached. Source: dsd.maryland.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
For your renters
Free boating-law page for Maryland on VesselSOS — link it from your booking confirmation.
Maryland 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.
Fleet is a pilot: we are building it with a small group of rental operators for next season. No prices yet.