District of Columbia boating laws · checked Oct 2026

District of Columbia boating laws: life jackets, boater education and jet skis

What District of Columbia law requires on the water, pulled from official sources and linked line by line: life jackets, boater education, jet skis, paddle craft and registration.

Boater education card: Required (see who)
Emergency: 911 · VHF Channel 16

Emergency on the water in District of Columbia

911

Life in danger, on any water: call 911 from a cell phone.

VHF 16

Channel 16 is the primary VHF-FM marine radio calling and distress channel. Carry a VHF radio on the coast and the Great Lakes.

On inland lakes and rivers, 911 reaches the people who respond there: county sheriff marine units, state conservation officers and local fire and rescue.

Emergency and non-emergency contacts in District of Columbia

911 for emergencies; on the Potomac and Anacostia, the U.S. Coast Guard also monitors VHF Channel 16. MPD Harbor Patrol Unit (non-emergency, course sign-up): (202) 727-4582.

Coast Guard sectors covering District of Columbia

Each sector runs a 24-hour command center. Its line is useful for reporting an overdue boat or reaching the Coast Guard by phone, but in a distress use VHF Channel 16 or call 911 first.

Sector Maryland-National Capital Region	(800) 418-7314 24-hour Coast Guard sector line · checked Oct 2026 · atlanticarea.uscg.mil

Toll-free 8xx numbers may not connect from a foreign SIM or a satellite phone.

How to call the Coast Guard: VHF 16 or 911 · Coast Guard phone numbers by region

District of Columbia life jacket laws (and kids)

Children

We couldn’t verify a District of Columbia child-wear rule. The federal rule applies on federal waters.

The federal baseline

Federal default: children under 13 must wear a USCG-approved life jacket on a recreational vessel that is underway, unless they’re below decks or in an enclosed cabin. Where a state has its own child-wear rule, the state rule applies on its waters (33 CFR 175.15(c), 175.25). Coast Guard required safety equipment →

Boater education card (the “District of Columbia boating license”)

Most states don’t issue a boating license. What they require is a boater education card: proof you passed an approved boating safety course.

Who needs it

Per MPD: anyone operating a vessel on District of Columbia waterways is required to have a Boating Safety Certificate. Birth-date, age and horsepower details were not confirmed.

The card

Boating Safety Certificate (MPD Harbor Patrol offers a free one-day, 8-hour course at 550 Water Street SW)

Source: mpdc.dc.gov

District of Columbia jet ski (PWC) laws

Rules on the water

Per MPD: no jumping the wake of another vessel within 100 yards of it; when two or more PWC run at 10 mph or more, keep at least 25 yards apart. MPD advises always wearing a life jacket and attaching the engine cut-off lanyard.

Source: mpdc.dc.gov

Boat registration in District of Columbia

Any vessel operated primarily on District of Columbia waters must be registered annually with the DC Boat Registration Office (MPD; renew online through OVERS). Whether unpowered canoes, kayaks and SUPs are covered was not confirmed. All boats must carry a wearable life jacket for each person on board or being towed; boats 16 ft or longer also need a Type IV throwable.

Popular boating waters in District of Columbia

Potomac River
Anacostia River
Washington Channel (The Wharf)
Georgetown Waterfront
Theodore Roosevelt Island
Kingman Lake

Some of the waters District of Columbia boaters know best. This is our list, not an official one, and it isn’t complete.

WHAT VESSELSOS DOES HERE

VesselSOS on District of Columbia waters

Life in danger? One tap dials 911. The screen shows your GPS position and a word-for-word script: say “Boat emergency, I’m on the water” and the name of the lake, river or bay you’re on.
On the coast and the Great Lakes it also shows which Coast Guard sector covers your position, with that sector’s 24-hour line as a second Call button, and a VHF Channel 16 MAYDAY script filled with your boat’s details for you to read on your own radio.
A live link for family ashore (Plus, free during the beta): your position, speed, course and phone battery in any browser, no app needed on their end. You send it by text yourself.
Not an emergency? The tow screen has Call buttons for the TowBoatUS and Sea Tow 24-hour dispatch lines, or your own member number.

What it doesn’t do: it doesn’t call the Coast Guard for you and isn’t connected to 911 or any rescue system. Nobody is alerted automatically if you’re late. The return-time check only asks “Are you OK?” on your own phone. It doesn’t replace a VHF radio, a PLB or EPIRB, or the life jackets the law requires.

iPhone only, in invite-only TestFlight beta. Not in the App Store yet, no Android. US support (911 routing, American English) is in beta version 1.4 and later.

Quick answers

Do you need a boating license in District of Columbia?