Florida Boat Rental Rules for Renters
What Florida law expects when you rent a boat: the Boating Safety Education ID Card, pre-rental instruction, and the insurance rental operators must carry.
Updated 2026-10-14
Boating Safety Education ID Card
Under Florida Statutes § 327.395, anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 must complete an approved boating safety course and carry a Boating Safety Education ID Card (or a temporary certificate or another accepted credential) to operate a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more.
A rental operator may not knowingly rent to someone who needs that credential unless they present it. Have yours ready when you book a self-captained boat.
Riding on a captained charter
If you book a boat with a captain, the captain operates the vessel, so passengers do not need the boating safety card to ride along.
Pre-rental instruction and paperwork
Florida rental operators (called liveries) must give renters safety and operating instruction before a self-captained rental and keep a written rental agreement. Expect a short briefing at the dock.
Insurance rental operators must carry
Under § 327.54, a livery renting out a motorized boat without a captain must carry insurance from a carrier licensed in Florida of at least $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per event, and must tell renters the carrier’s name, address and policy number.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change — check the linked sources and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or talk to a lawyer, before relying on it.
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 327.395 — Boating safety education
- Fla. Stat. § 327.54 — Liveries
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Boating