Boating
- Safety Tips
- PFD's - Life Jackets
- PFD's For Kids - Life Jackets
- Regulations [PDF, 6,857KB]
- Reporting a Boating Incident
- Boating Fatality Summary
- Annual Program Report [PDF 1,188KB]
- Invasive Species
- Registration Information
- Ordinances and Waterway Markers
- Tourism Information (exit DNR)
- Wisconsin Lake Maps
Boating Safety Education
- Upcoming Scheduled Safety Education Courses
- U.S. Power Squadrons Upcoming Classes (exit DNR)
- Safety Education Internet Courses
- Age and Certificate Requirements
- Replacement Safety Certificate
- Volunteer Safety Instructor Corner
DNR Safety Education Programs
Safe Boating in Wisconsin
Keep your summer fun coming -- whether it's a fishing boat, a canoe, or a personal watercraft that "floats your boat."
Whether you're paddling...
...or motoring, the DNR recommends you wear life jackets and take a boater safety course to stay safe on Wisconsin waters.
Fast Facts
- 635,000 boats registered in Wisconsin
- Boats registered in IL, MN and Iowa add hundreds of thousands to this total
- Fishing is the top activity enjoyed while in a boat
- 20 people died in 2008 in boating accidents
- 79 % of boat operators in accidents had not taken a safety course
Sources: Recreational Boating in Wisconsin: The 2007 Survey; 2008 Wisconsin Boating Program Report
Taking a safety course, observing the "rules of the road," and following a few safety tips will help keep you and your family safe on Wisconsin's waters this boating season.
Take Special Cold Water Precautions in Spring
Cold water temperatures reduce your margin for error on the water: if you fall in or your boat capsizes, you may have as little as two minutes before losing your ability to move your muscles and get back in the boat or seek help.
Learn more:
Wear a Life Jacket and Do Not Drink
If you're going out on the water in a boat, the one thing you can do to assure you return home safely is to wear a life jacket, also known as a personal flotation device (PFD); 16 of 20 people killed in boating accidents in 2008 did not wear PFDs.
A close second is to save your drinking until you're off the water. Exposure to sun, glare, wind, noise and vibrations causes fatigue and slows reaction time so that it takes only one-third the amount of alcohol normally required to slow a person's reaction time and affect his or her balance, judgment and coordination. The best thing to do is to keep no alcohol on the boat. Anyone on a boat can distract the operator or fall overboard.
Take a Boating Safety Education Course and Live
With three convenient ways to take a boater safety course -- two online options and hands-on classes taught year-round -- there's no excuse not to take a boater safety course. Anyone born after 1988 is required to take a boater safety course to legally operate a boat. But boaters of all ages can learn rules and safe operating tips that just might save your life. And you can get certified in as little as three hours from the comfort of your own home.
See: Boating Education
Boost Your Safety IQ with Safety Videos and Multimedia
Learn critical safety tips by watching a variety of DNR instructional videos and public service announcements.
See: Boating Safety Requirements and Tips
Know Wisconsin's Boating Laws
Boating may be considered a recreation and you're on water instead of a divided highway, but there are still laws that boaters must follow, and dangers to be avoided. Concentration and careful operation are always the rule of the road.
Read through your regulation booklet and keep a copy onboard
Wisconsin Boating Regulations [PDF]
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