Memorial Day Office Closure
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices will be closed for the state holiday, Monday, May 25. To honor military members for their service CPW offers active duty military and veteran benefits to enjoy fishing, hunting and state parks.
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Boating Safely on Colorado's Lake and Rivers - A motorboat traveling quickly across choppy water.
U.S. Coast Guard-approved safety equipment is required on all recreational boats. Here are some of the equipment requirements:
Other requirements, such as muffling devices and flags for towed sports, are outlined in the Boating Statutes & Regulations.
To help ensure a safe and enjoyable boating experience, it is important to understand and follow Colorado’s boating regulations and guidelines.
In Colorado, anyone operating a motorboat - including personal watercraft such as Jet Skis - must be at least 18 years old.
Individuals aged 14–17 who wish to operate a motorized vessel are required to complete and pass a state-approved boating safety course. Courses may be taken in person, virtually, or fully online through an approved provider. While not required, operators over the age of 17 are strongly encouraged to take a boating safety course as well. Several states neighboring Colorado have stricter certification requirements, and Colorado’s certification is recognized in other states.
Anyone 14 years or older can take an in-person, state-approved boating safety course and learn about safely operating a motorboat, Jet Ski or sailboat. A parent or guardian must accompany 14-17 years-old.
Anyone 14 years old or older may take a web-based boating safety class. The State of Colorado and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators have approved the following online course providers:
- BoatEd (see the "Find a class on BoatEd" link below),
- BoaterExam, https://www.boaterexam.com/,
- BoatUS, https://boatus.org/courses,
- BoatTests101, https://boattests101.com/,
- Recademics, https://recademics.com/, and
- AceBoater, https://aceboater.com/en-us/colorado
This is a comprehensive course covering marine navigation, weather, rules of the road, boat handling, equipment, knots, trailering, and safety. For the USCG Auxiliary boating safety class schedule, contact Carl Koonsman at 303-985-3715. For more USCG Auxiliary boating skill classes, please visit the link below.
Our NASBLA-approved introductory course, designated ABC3, includes Introduction to Boating, Boating Law, Boat Safety Equipment, Safe Boating, Navigation, Boating Problems, Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat, and Hunting and Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating. For more details see America's Boating Course page.
Stay Safe on the Water
Life jackets are required when operating or riding in a boat. Most boating accidents happen when someone falls overboard. A life jacket will keep your airway clear of water and your head above water, and it will support your body should you stop swimming or become unconscious.
80%
of boating accident deaths might have been prevented had a life jacket been worn
9 out of 10
people who drown are not wearing a life jacket.
It’s required to have one U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board. Life jackets should be readily available to all passengers and in good and serviceable condition. Each life jacket must be the correct size to fit the person who will wear it. Children 12 years of age and younger are required to wear a life jacket whenever their vessel is on the water, except when they are in an enclosed cabin or below deck. Life jackets should always be used according to the manufacturer's label. When in doubt, read the label, and if you can no longer read the label, then the life jacket is no longer in good condition.
Inflatable life jackets are approved for use by people 16 years and older. They must be used in accordance with their label and are not approved for personal watercraft, white water paddling or towed sports.
Cold Weather Boating
Water below 68 degrees Fahrenheit is dangerous. Sudden immersion in cold water can cause gasping, inhalation of water, and hypothermia, resulting in unconsciousness or swimming failure as muscles become numb.
What Should I do if I Fall into Cold Water?
If you ever find yourself in the water, stay with your boat. Cold muscles and wet clothes make it very difficult to get over the side and sometimes even the back of a boat. Never overestimate your swimming ability. All too often people underestimate the distance to shore or the effects of cold water and drown while attempting to make it to safety.
Boating Safety
It is the law to report qualifying incidents to CPW.
Reports can be made with the Boating Incident Report Form.
Submit the report to:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
13787 S. Hwy. 85
Littleton, CO 80125
Each operator involved in the incident must file an accident report using the Boating Accident Report Form within five days if the incident results in:
Submit the report to:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
13787 S. Hwy. 85
Littleton, CO 80125
Anyone failing to file this report is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction will be punished by law.
Life Jackets
People who are not wearing a life jacket can drown in Colorado rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
Boating under the influence can also cause accidents.
Boater's Hypnosis
Boater’s hypnosis, or boater’s fatigue, is caused by exposure to the noise, vibration, sun, glare, wind and motion experienced on the water. It can cause a person’s reaction time to slow down, almost as much as if they were legally drunk. Alcohol intensifies the effect of boater’s hypnosis, causing a person who has not been drinking heavily to feel as if they are intoxicated and increasing their chance of an accident.
Swimming
Swimmers can get water in their ears, causing disorientation. For those who have been drinking, the disorientation can be intensified so much that they swim down to their death instead of up to safety. Cold water causes fatigue, and exhaustion happens faster than in warm water. This can explain why even good swimmers who have been drinking, drown. Regardless of the boat driver’s condition, if a passenger is intoxicated, the risk of drowning is heightened by this factor alone.
Boating under the influence can be deadly. Every year, nearly 1,000 people die in boating accidents nationwide, and half of these accidents are alcohol related. The effects of alcohol on boating are stark: a boater who is intoxicated is ten times more likely to be killed in a boating accident than a boater who is not.
It’s Illegal
Boating under the influence is illegal. Under Colorado law, this offense is the same as driving under the influence, with the exception of penalties. Sentences for a first-time offender range from:
