Kansas SUP Laws
- PFD Requirement: One Type I, II, III, or V life jacket on board per person. Kansas law requires children 12 and under to wear their life jacket, even when anchored
- Alcohol Law Kansas has Boating Under the Influence (BUI) law which prohibits operating any “vessel” while under the influence. A Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more is considered under the influence.
- Lights: Every vessel less than 16 feet in length, in all weather, from sunrise to sunset, while underway and at anchor, shall carry and exhibit a bright white light aft to show 360 degrees.
- Sounding Devices – Required for vessels under 40 feet long; whistle or horn that’s audible up to one mile.
- Registration – Vessels without motor or sail or vessels properly registered in another state are exempt from Kansas boating registration.
- Operator Licensing – There are no legal age requirements to operate vessels propelled by oars or paddles. (kayaks, canoes and SUPs)
- Visual Distress Signaling- All vessels are required to carry night signaling devices. Manually propelled vessels are exempt from carrying day signaling devices. On federally controlled waters, all vessels are required to carry U.S. Coast Guard-approved night VDS devices.