Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Enforcement

The boating laws of Michigan are enforced by officers of the Law Enforcement Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, county sheriff’s department, U.S. Coast Guard, and any other authorized law enforcement agency.

• Officers have the right to stop and board vessels in order to check for compliance with federal and state laws.
• The U.S. Coast Guard has enforcement authority on federally controlled waters.
• It is illegal to refuse to follow the directive of a person with law enforcement authority. An operator who has received a visual or audible signal from a law enforcement officer must bring his or her vessel to a stop.

An officer of the Michigan DNR, county sheriff’s department, U.S. Coast Guard, or any other authorized law enforcement agency has the right to stop and board vessels in order to check for compliance with federal and state laws.