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Questions and answers about sports

Do I have to register my kayak in Missouri?

4 min read

Asked by: Karen Johnson

Missouri Kayak & Boat Registration Laws It is not necessary for you to register a non-motorized vessel in Missouri. This includes all kayaks and canoes that do not have a motor attached. It also includes sailboats up to 12 feet long.

Do you have to license a kayak in Missouri?

Missouri Kayaking Operator Education Laws



Do you need a license to kayak in Missouri? Yes. “All persons who operate any vessel on the lakes of the State of Missouri must have on board: A boating safety identification card issued by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a photo I.D. or.

Do you have to register a kayak with a trolling motor in Missouri?

Trolling motors are NOT titled or registered in the state of Missouri. Any vessel (watercraft) regardless of length, which is propelled solely by paddles or oars, is not required to be titled and registered.

How do I title a kayak in Missouri?

An Application for Missouri Boat/Vessel or Outboard Motor Title and Registration (Form 93) Document signed by the dealer; or. A documented vessel Abstract of Title (CG-1332); or an assigned Documented Vessel Certificate of Registration (Form 4086).

Do you need a Licence for a kayak?

This includes narrowboats and unpowered craft such as canoes, kayaks, dinghies, rowing boats, paddleboards, and light inflatable craft. If you’re paddling on the sea, estuaries or tidal water, or on a river or canal which doesn’t require a licence, then that’s fine, you don’t need one.

Are kayaks personal watercraft?

Personal Watercraft are defined as a Jet driven vessel that the rider sits, kneels, stands, or lays “ON”. As opposed to sitting “IN” a boat, kayak, canoe, or rowboat.

Do you need a life jacket on a kayak?

Canoes and kayaks



You must always wear a lifejacket in a canoe or kayak when alone in your vessel.

Is it legal to put a trolling motor on a kayak?

Or it's not peddled. By human motion if you have a color motor on it whether it be a gas motor or an electric motor you even a trolling motor. That kayak typically does need to be registered.

What must be on board to operate a vessel legally on Missouri lakes?

Missouri law requires boaters to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board and accessible for each occupant of the boat. Children under the age of seven are required to wear a life jacket whenever they are on a boat unless they are in the cabin area of a houseboat or cruiser.

Can you kayak on the Missouri River?

Kayaking the Missouri River is one way to experiences the “Big Muddy.” Exploring the river by canoe or kayak is a great way to see the park and what Lewis and Clark may have experienced during their 1804 and 1806 travels. Appropriate watercraft is required for safely enjoying the river.

Can I use my kayak on any river?

There are legal rights to go boating on some non-tidal rivers because they have been highways for centuries. The general rule is that if a river was once a highway for commercial traffic, it is still a highway and can be used by kayakers.

Do you need a license for a paddle board?

Do I really need a license? Yes, the use of a paddleboard, or any other portable, unpowered craft on the majority of inland waterways, requires a license obtainable from the relevant authority. On Regent’s Canal, there are two license options: Short term or 30-days explorers’ license from the Canal and River Trust.

Which side of the river should you paddle on?

When peeling out from an eddy, always look upstream. You never know whether another paddler or obstacle is on its way downriver. In general, if you are in an eddy, the upstream paddler has the right of way.

How far out can you go in a kayak?

On average, a reasonably experienced kayaker paddling a mid-sized solo boat can be expected to comfortably paddle between 10-20 miles a day.

Do I need a license to paddleboard on the river?

If you’re paddling on the sea, estuaries or tidal water, or on a river or canal which doesn’t require a licence, then that’s fine, you don’t need one! Check where you’re paddling first to see if there are any licence requirements on that stretch.