Lake Havasu boating rules: what renters need to know

Lake Havasu is split down the middle: Arizona on the east shore, California on the west. Both states share jurisdiction over the Colorado River, so both states' boating laws apply on the lake, along with federal rules, and officers from both sides patrol it. The simple way to stay out of trouble is to follow whichever rule is stricter.

This is a plain-English summary for people renting a boat or jet ski. Rules change, so the official sources are linked throughout.

Do you need a boating license?

In Arizona, no. There's no required boater education course or license (Arizona Game & Fish boating handbook).

California requires a California Boater Card for anyone operating a motorized boat, at any age, as of 2025. But the law exempts a person operating a rental vessel, and visitors who've been in the state 60 days or less and meet their home state's requirements (California Harbors & Navigation Code §678.11).

How old do you have to be to drive?

• Arizona: nobody under 12 may operate a boat or jet ski with a motor over 8 hp unless a parent, guardian or someone 18 or older is on board (A.R.S. §5-341).
• California: nobody under 16 may operate a boat or jet ski with a motor over 15 hp (nearly every jet ski), except 12- to 15-year-olds with an adult 18 or older on board supervising (H&N Code §658.5).

Those are the legal minimums. Rental companies set their own age to rent and drive, which is usually higher, so ask when you book.

Life jackets

Both states require a Coast Guard–approved life jacket for every person on board, and the wear rules are similar:

• Kids: in Arizona, children 12 and under must wear one whenever the boat is moving (A.R.S. §5-331); in California it's children under 13 (H&N Code §658.3).
• Jet skis: everyone on board must wear one, in both states.
• Towing: anyone being towed (skier, tuber, wakeboarder) must wear one.
• Boats 16 feet and longer also need a throwable flotation device on board.

Speed and no-wake zones

In Arizona, "wakeless speed" means no wake and never more than 5 mph (A.R.S. §5-301). There's no general speed limit on the lake. Speed has to be reasonable for the conditions, and you're responsible for any damage your wake does. No-wake buoys and posted limits are enforced, though, and speeding in a no-wake zone is one of Arizona's most common citations.

California adds a 5 mph limit within 100 feet of swimmers, and within 200 feet of a swimming beach, swim float, diving platform or boarding landing (H&N Code §655.2).

The no-wake areas you're most likely to meet:

• The Bridgewater Channel under London Bridge: 5 mph, keep right, no swimming, no anchoring in the way. See our guide to the coves and spots for the full channel rules.
• Thompson Bay, and the marked entrance to Copper Canyon.
• The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge in the north: 25 mph maximum, and the backwaters are no-wake.

Right of way

Arizona's traffic rules: boats run counter-clockwise, boats leaving shore yield to boats coming in, and powered boats give way to non-powered ones (A.R.S. §5-345). Don't ride on the bow, gunwales or transom above wakeless speed, and don't block the driver's view.

Towing skiers and tubers

• Have an observer. Arizona requires one besides the driver; California requires the observer to be at least 12.
• Fly the flag. In Arizona, the observer shows a bright orange or red flag, at least 12 inches per side, whenever the rider is down or waiting in the water (A.R.S. §5-346).
• Daylight only. No towing from sunset to sunrise, in either state.
• No towing at all through about 17 miles of Topock Gorge in the wildlife refuge.

Jet ski rules

• Clip the lanyard (the kill-switch cord) to the driver, and everyone on board wears a life jacket (A.R.S. §5-350).
• Don't jump wakes close to other boats. Arizona treats wake-jumping, sharp swerving or high speed within 60 feet of another boat as reckless; California's line is 100 feet.
• Daylight only in California: no jet ski may be operated between sunset and sunrise (H&N Code §655.7).
• Jet skis aren't allowed in the refuge backwaters, on Topock Marsh or in Castle Rock Bay.

Drinking and boating

Operating a boat or jet ski at 0.08% blood alcohol or higher is illegal in both states. In Arizona you can also be arrested if you're impaired "to the slightest degree," or have any drug or its metabolite in your system (A.R.S. §5-395). By driving a boat in Arizona you consent to testing.

The penalties are serious. A first offense in Arizona is a misdemeanor with a minimum of 10 days in jail (which a judge can suspend if you complete treatment) and fines and assessments of more than $1,000; an "extreme" reading of 0.15% or higher carries at least 30 days (A.R.S. §5-395.01, §5-397). The sheriff's office runs extra patrols on holiday weekends.

Lights, noise and paperwork

• After dark, motorboats must show navigation lights: red and green at the bow and an all-around white light at the stern on boats under 26 feet, and a white light when anchored (A.R.S. §5-333).
• Noise: Arizona limits boats to 86 decibels measured from 50 feet, and mufflers are required.
• Keep your rental receipt on board. In Arizona, the person driving a rented boat must carry the registration or rental receipt and show it to an officer if asked (Ariz. Admin. Code R12-4-514).

Who patrols the lake, and what to do in an emergency

In an emergency, call 911. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office is the main enforcement agency on the Arizona side, alongside Arizona Game & Fish officers and Lake Havasu City police; the San Bernardino County Sheriff patrols the California side. Deputies from both sides can enforce the law across the lake.

For a breakdown that isn't an emergency, call the rental office first. Check the conditions before you go, and see the fleet when you're ready to book.