Summary of the most important Minnesota Boating Regulations:

• All boats must be licensed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and license must be displayed acccording to DNR regulations.
  
  
• One personal floatation device (PFD) for appropriate size per person must be available on board and one throwable device.
  
  
• Children less than 10 years are required to wear a PFD while in the boat and PFD’s must be readily available for all persons in boat.  Everyone operating a personal water craft must wear a PFD .
  
  
• Navigational lights are required while operating a boat from sunset to sunrise.  A red light on the port side (left) and a green light on the star board side (right) and a one white light visible for at least 2 miles on a clear night.
  
  
• Marine toilet on any water craft must not be of a dischargeable type.
  
  
• Invasive species are regulated in Minnesota.  Boats and trailers are to be clean, free of plant and aquatic species before and after launching any water craft (boats, ski jets etc) into the lake.
  
  
• Waterway Markers are official markers (buoys/signs/or lights) in the water or on shore to assist boaters to navigate safely within speed requirements.
  
  
• Age of operation requirements: There are age restrictions in Minnesota that vary according to age, horsepower of watercraft and watercraft operator’s permit. Your local Sheriff or DNR office will have information on the current laws on your lake.
  
  
• In Minnesota it is illegal to operate any watercraft while intoxicated (alcohol level of .08) or other illegal substances .