Minnesota PFD Requirements

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)

• Minnesota boaters are required to carry at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved Type IV PFD (ring buoy OR seat cushion) on all recreational boats that are 16 feet in length or greater, in ADDITION to the wearable life jacket requirement for each person onboard all boats.
• Anyone being towed behind a watercraft is required by law to be wearing a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket.
• All personal watercraft operators and occupants must be wearing an approved Type I, II, II or V life jacket.

Mandatory Child Life Jacket Wear Law:

• Children who are below the top deck or in an enclosed cabin,
• Children onboard passenger boats being operated by a licensed captain,
• Children on a boat that is anchored for the purpose of swimming or diving.