Maryland SUP Laws
- PFD Requirement: One Type I, II, III, or V life jacket on board per person. Maine law requires children 10 and under to wear a type I, II, or III life jacket at all times and on any watercraft .
- Alcohol Law Maryland has a Boating Under the Influence (BUI) law which prohibits operating any “watercraft” while under the influence. A Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more is considered under the influence in Maryland.Lights: No documented laws for non-powered vehicles
- Sounding Devices – Paddle boarders must carry a whistle.
- Registration – paddle boards do not have to be registered in Maryland.
- Operator Licensing – There are no legal age requirements to operate watercraft/paddlecraft without an attached motor. This includes kayaks, canoes and stand up paddle boards.
- 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.