Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Maryland Required Equipment Checklist

indicates the equipment is required by state law.

Required Equipment	PWC	Boat Less than 16 Feet	Boat 16 Feet to Less than 26 Feet
Boater Safety Education Certificate
Boater Safety Education Certificate: Applicable if operator is born after July 1, 1972.
Certificate of Number on Board
Validation Decal Displayed
PFDs: Type I, II, III, or V
Everyone on board a PWC must wear a personal flotation device (PFD). Children under 7 years of age must wear a PFD while underway on a vessel under 21 feet in length. There are additional requirements for PFDs on children under 4 years of age or weighing less than 50 pounds.
PFD: Type IV	n/a	n/a
Type B-1 Fire Extinguisher
Ignition Safety Switch		n/a	n/a
Backfire Flame Arrestor		Required on inboard engines.	Required on inboard engines.
Ventilation System
Muffler
Horn, Whistle, or Bell
Daytime Visual Distress System	n/a	n/a	Required when boating on federally controlled waters
Nighttime Visual Distress System	Certain items are not applicable to PWCs because they are not allowed to operate between sunset and sunrise.	Required when boating on federally controlled waters	Required when boating on federally controlled waters
Navigation Lights	Certain items are not applicable to PWCs because they are not allowed to operate between sunset and sunrise.