What are Missouri Life Jacket Laws?
For those who are eager to explore Missouri’s beautiful waterways, ensuring the safety of those on board your vessel is crucial. Every state has its own set of laws and regulations regarding life jackets, and Missouri is no exception. In Missouri, life jackets (or personal flotation devices, or PFDs) are a serious issue. The Missouri State Water Patrol, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, are enforcing state and federal laws to ensure the safety of all vessels on the state’s waterways. With a number of different types of PFDs to choose from, it’s important to make sure you have the right one for your specific needs. The two types of laws that pertain to life jackets in Missouri are Missouri’s PFD law, and federal laws pertaining to PFDs . Missouri law applies to all recreational vessels, including canoes, kayaks, inflatable rafts and paddleboards and requires a child under the age of 7 to wear a life jacket at all times while on the water. It also requires vessels 16 feet or longer to carry at least one buoyant heaving line of at least 15 feet in length, with some exceptions, such as sailboats, manually propelled vessels and racing shells or human-powered vessels. Together with Missouri’s laws requiring children to wear life jackets and the federal law that most PFDs must be USCG-approved, all recreational vessels should meet the requirements to keep everyone on board safe for their time spent out on the water.
Who Is Required to Wear a Life Jacket in Missouri?
Regardless of the number of people, any vessel, except sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and inflatable boats, is required to have at least one life jacket onboard for each person. In addition, a U.S. Coast Guard approved Type IV throwable device is required for all vessels except Personal Watercraft (PWCs), sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats and inflatable boats. Instead of a Type IV, a boat 16 feet and longer can have either a Type IV or a second Type I, II, or III PFD on board. Type II or III PFDs may be used instead of a Type IV. The Type IV must be readily accessible.
When an individual is 13 years old or younger and is aboard a vessel that is less than 26 feet in length, the individual must wear a Type I, II, III or V PFD in the following cases:
An exception applies to individuals 7 years old or younger on vessels of any length if vessels are anchored in a designated swimming area marked with official regulatory markers.
Types of Life Jackets Approved in Missouri
Under Missouri law, approved life jackets must be Coast Guard certified and marked as conforming to the following standards. Commercial boats are vessels used for hire as an occupation, including vessels that are hired by someone who is not the owner to propagate fish, mark marine boundaries or monitor data. Under U.S. Code 46 § 3301, inspected vessels are commercial vessels where the Coast Guard has certified that the vessel meets state safety regulations and is made available to the public, like sightseeing boats. Persons operating personal watercraft must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket designed for high speed such as a Type III or Type V kinetic life jacket. Boat drivers, ski instructors, observers and those being towed while being driven in the water must wear a Type I, II or III life jacket that is either conventional or inflatable. For a Type V inflatable, there must be an alarm when it is unfastened to notify the user. Inflatable jackets must be approved for specific activities such as wakeboarding or waterskiing.
Penalties for Not Wearing a Life Jacket
Failing to comply with Missouri’s life jacket requirements can result in a range of penalties, from verbal warnings to hefty fines or even criminal prosecution. While violations might not seem severe in some circumstances, the Missouri Boating Regulations place a strong emphasis on boater safety and education. Boaters must be aware of the legal requirements for their vessel in order to avoid excess charges or criminal penalties. For example, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has issued several warnings related to the failure to have a Type IV throwable flotation device—or "ring buoy"—aboard a vessel over 16 feet (except canoes and kayaks). The department has also levied fines of $80 upon boaters who violated the life jacket laws, including those who failed to properly fit children with life jackets or properly store flotation devices on their vessels. An example of a more severe penalty includes charges brought against the owners of a group of party boats for failing to have flotation devices of the proper number and type. The result? Fines of $500 paid by each boat owner. Not possessing sufficient flotation devices aboard your boat is not the only way to incur penalties or fines. There are many other scenarios in which insufficient or improper safety devices aboard a vessel might lead to a penalty, including: For all of the foregoing, the Missouri Boating Regulations make clear that an offender might be found guilty and assessed the appropriate fine for any such violation.
The Safety Benefits of Wearing a Life Jacket
Life jackets significantly increase a boater’s chances of survival in the unfortunate instance of an accident. In fact, the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating and Law Enforcement reported that in 2011, "of the 758 boating fatalities in 2011, 85% of those who drowned were not reported as wearing a life jacket." Of all the deaths reported, "4 out of 5 were less than 13 years old."
In addition, per the same report, the Coast Guard stated that "Drowning was the reported cause of death for 391 accidents, 334 of which were caused by the victim falling overboard, capsizing, or colliding with another vessel."
The following are stories of individuals who were involved in reported boating accidents in Missouri, all of whom survived because they were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. There are a few different types of personal flotation devices, including personal flotation devices (PFDs, which are designed to automatically inflate when submerged), buoyancy aid jackets, and hydrostatic inflatable vests.
September 2012: Sixteen-year-old Matthew Becker, who was home on break from Dartmouth College, died during a family excursion on Lake of the Ozarks. Becker had apparently jumped off a boat without a life vest on to take an offshore shortcut back to the dock. He tragically drowned after going under a buoy line. His body was not recovered until three weeks later. According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, Becker was wearing the life jacket when he fell from the front of the ski boat with the rest of the family.
June 2013: A Navy veteran who reportedly died after falling from a boat on Lake of the Ozarks, Craig Poff , was not wearing a life jacket nor had he converted a regular vest into an inflatable, according to family members. Suffering from a Great Lakes fishing accident, Craig Poff’s life was saved for a few more days by the inflatable personal flotation vest he had recently purchased on sleepypoint.com.
October 2013: A woman survived after falling off a boat into the cold waters of the Kansas City Lake on the evening of October 6th, when her husband, Matt Palmer, saved her life by pulling her out of the bottom of the lake. When officers interviewed her husband at the hospital, however, she was still in a deep state of shock and was neither conscious nor able to talk. Palmer, who was a former Navy officer with some limited diving training, was able to pull his wife to safety after swimming into the cold water when she fell out of sight. While her life was saved, she did drown and went into hypothermia and possibly shock from overexertion. Her life could have been saved even sooner had she been wearing a life jacket.
May 2014: Boater Brian Hays was enjoying a Memorial Day weekend trip to the Ozarks with his wife and their two children when he was thrown overboard. Boater Steven Klein, captain of the 38′ boat that struck Hays, claims he saw the small bowrider boat and had enough time to turn right to pass by safely. Hays’ boat, however, failed to make the turn and the two boats collided. The other three family members in the boat, including Hays’ four-year-old son, were wearing life jackets. During the U.S. Coast Guard report, the son recounted "ocean waves" coming. Because his father was not wearing a life jacket, he had drifted far and fast away from his family.
Recent Changes to Missouri Life Jacket Laws
While the core requirements for life jacket use in Missouri have not changed significantly, there has been some clarification and consolidation of existing regulations. The Missouri State Water Patrol now clearly states that all boats (including canoes, rafts, jet skis, etc.) must have an accessible PFD for each person onboard. The law also makes it clearer that non-motorized craft with sails under 16 feet do not have to carry a type IV throwable flotation device or any fire extinguisher. Previously, it was more ambiguous whether this was required.
In 2010, a new amendment took effect clarifying restrictions for those 12 years of age and under. Now children are required to wear a life jacket at all times when the vessel is underway, except if they are below deck or seated in a closed cabin. It is important to note that the PFD must be secured to the child so that it will not fall off if the child stands up, places their arms above their head, or otherwise makes any sudden movements. A harnessed PFD is recommended for youth who may be in danger of unbuckling their straps.
In addition, any child under 7 years of age must wear a properly fitted and fastened life jacket at all times while the boat is underway. Basically, all children in an open vessel should be wearing a life jacket at any time the boat is moving on the water.
Tips for Picking the Right Life Jacket
Life jackets are designed to keep you safe while spending time at sea or on a river. You might not realize that there are many different types of life jackets available for a wide range of activities. When purchasing a life jacket, make sure it is appropriate for the specific task at hand and the size of person who will be wearing it.
The following are a few tips to help you choose the correct life jacket for you:
1. Type of Activity
The type of activity you intend to perform determines which type of life jacket you need. For example, if you will likely be engaged in high-speed water sports, such as waterskiing, an inflatable life jacket is not recommended. Whereas, if you will be racing or sailing, a personal flotation device (PFD)—or a type I, II, III, or V—might suit your needs.
2. Size and Weight
In general, when purchasing life jackets, you should try and find one that fits a little tight. A good tip is to make sure the life jacket is tight enough that you cannot easily slip it over your head or over your hips when your arms are raised; however, it should be loose enough so that you are able to overcome the buoyancy of the jacket and swim.
3. Comfort
Life jackets can be bulky and difficult to wear; they can chafe or prevent you from moving as you would like. Remember, it’s important that you are as comfortable as possible while wearing a life jacket, especially if you’re spending an entire day on the water. When shopping for a life jacket, try it on and make sure it isn’t too tight or too loose, and make sure it doesn’t limit your range of motion.
4. Floatation Level
Most life jackets will have a tag to indicate its level of floatation. Level 50 provides moderate buoyancy in calm waters, while level 100 offers a high level of buoyancy, even in rough waters. Choose the appropriate level based on your level of confidence and experience with water sports, as well as your specific activities and waters.
Also consider your flotation needs when it comes to children or pets. Some life jackets come with a small strap that can be used to slowly lower your pet into the water so that it can acclimate itself to the water. This will prevent your dog from trying to jump off the boat (and end up drowning) by allowing it to get wet slowly.
Conclusion: Safety and the Law on Missouri Waters
Whether you’re speeding down the Missouri River or gliding along the calm waters of Lake of the Ozarks, few things are as important to keeping you safe as your life jacket. In preparation for a sunny day on the water, it’s easy to overlook this relatively unexciting piece of equipment. After all, the best life jackets are a bit bulky and cumbersome—not exactly the kind of thing you want to wear while fishing or sun bathing—and the rules about life jackets are a bit complicated . But a good understanding of Missouri life jacket laws is not only helpful for staying in compliance with the law, it’s also key to avoiding unnecessary accidents and fatalities on the water. Remember, boating injuries in Missouri can happen at any time. In our state, they peak in June, which is why understanding life jacket laws is important year-round. Here’s hoping that this guide has helped you to understand how to stay within the law while making smart decisions about your boating safety.
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