South Carolina boat rental laws
9 rules for boat and jet ski rental businesses in South Carolina, from one official source.
Rental-specific lawSouth Carolina defines the boat livery in statute: departure records kept six months, boats only in safe condition, registered, numbered and equipped, and a 30-day boat rental safety certificate that lets renters born after 1 July 2007 operate rented 10 hp+ boats and PWCs.
Boater education card for renters
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Anyone born after 1 July 2007 needs a South Carolina boating safety certificate (or an exemption) to operate a vessel of 10 hp or more, a PWC or a specialty propcraft.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-95 — Lawful operation of certain vessels“It is unlawful for a person to operate upon the waters of this State a vessel powered by an engine of ten horsepower or greater or equivalent to ten horsepower or greater, a personal watercraft, or a specialty propcraft unless the person: (1) was born on or before July 1, 2007;”
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Renters can instead take an SCDNR-approved boat rental safety course: the boat rental safety certificate is valid for 30 days and only while operating a vessel from a rental business.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-90(C) and § 50-21-95(A)(6)“A boat rental safety certificate is valid for thirty days from the date of issuance and only while operating a vessel, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft from a business engaged in the renting of vessels, personal watercrafts, or specialty propcrafts.”
Jet ski (PWC) rentals
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Everyone on a PWC wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket; no PWC operation after sunset or before sunrise; the lanyard cut-off must work and be attached. An owner may not knowingly let a PWC be operated in violation of these rules.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-870 — Personal watercraft and boating safety“operate or be in possession of a personal watercraft or specialty propcraft while upon the waters of this State after sunset or before sunrise;”
Safety equipment
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No livery vessel may leave the premises unless it is in sound and safe operating condition, validly registered, properly numbered and carries the required equipment (provided by the livery or the renter); the livery owner is liable for damage or injury resulting from a failure here.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-120 — Duty of boat livery as to equipment, registration and the like“Neither the owner, his agent, or employees of a boat livery operating in this State shall permit any vessel to depart from his premises unless it is in sound and safe operating condition, have a valid registration, is properly numbered”
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On a motorboat under 16 ft (Class A), every person under 12 must wear a properly fastened, right-size Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-870 — Personal watercraft and boating safety“unless each person under the age of twelve aboard the Class "A" motor boat is wearing a United States Coast Guard approved personal flotation device”
Insurance
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For negligent injury or damage caused by a vessel rented from a boat livery, the renter-operator — not the livery owner — is liable as owner.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-120 — Duty of boat livery as to equipment, registration and the like“the owner of a boat livery shall not be liable as an owner as provided in this paragraph, and in case of any negligent injury or damage occasioned by the operation of a vessel rented or hired from a boat livery, the operator of the vessel shall be liable as owner thereof.”
Records to keep
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The livery keeps a record of each renter's name and address, the vessel's identification number, the departure date and time and the expected return time, for at least six months.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-100 — Records to be kept by owners of boat liveries“The owner of a boat livery shall cause to be kept a record of the name and address of the person or persons hiring any vessel; the identification number thereof, and the departure date and time, and the expected time of return. The record shall be preserved for at least six months.”
Registering rental boats
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For readily identifiable livery boats under 26 ft rented for non-commercial use for less than seven days, the registration certificate may stay ashore with the owner.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-120 — Duty of boat livery as to equipment, registration and the like“readily identifiable livery boats of less than twenty-six feet in length leased or rented to another for the latter's noncommercial use for less than seven days may have the registration certificate retained ashore by the owner or his representative.”
Other rules
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A “boat livery” is any business that holds watercraft for rent, lease or charter.
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S.C. Code § 50-21-10 — Definitions“"Boat livery" means a business that holds watercraft for rent, lease, or charter.”
Not confirmed yet
What we looked for and could not confirm from an official source. Ask the agency before you assume anything here.
No South Carolina licence or permit for the rental business itself was found.
Which boat rental safety courses SCDNR currently approves was not checked.
Federal rules still apply
On top of South Carolina 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 South Carolina.
Questions rental operators ask
Does a renter need a boater education card in South Carolina?
Anyone born after 1 July 2007 needs a South Carolina boating safety certificate (or an exemption) to operate a vessel of 10 hp or more, a PWC or a specialty propcraft. Source: scstatehouse.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
What are the rules for jet ski rentals in South Carolina?
Everyone on a PWC wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket; no PWC operation after sunset or before sunrise; the lanyard cut-off must work and be attached. An owner may not knowingly let a PWC be operated in violation of these rules. Source: scstatehouse.gov, checked October 18, 2026.
For your renters
Free boating-law page for South Carolina on VesselSOS — link it from your booking confirmation.
South Carolina 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.