Overview of PFD Law

All boats must be equipped with USCG–approved personal flotation devices (PFDs), also called life jackets. The quantity and type depend on the length of your boat and the number of people on board and/or being towed. Each life jacket must be in good and serviceable condition, be the proper size for the intended wearer, be appropriate for the activity, and very importantly, be readily accessible! Readily accessible means you must be able to put the life jacket on in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency (boat sinking, on fire, etc.). Life jackets should not be stowed in plastic bags or in locked or closed compartments, and they should not have other gear stowed on top of them.

Boat operators should ask everyone on their boat to wear a life jacket whenever on the water. Life jackets can save lives, but only if they are worn!