On the Water · Rules
Rules on the water in Puerto Rico
The rules for boats, jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards and kites, from Puerto Rico's navigation law (Ley 430-2000, as amended to August 2026) and federal rules, with the article for each. A plain-English summary, not legal advice.
Boats and jet skis
From Ley 430-2000, the Ley de Navegación y Seguridad Acuática.
| Rule | What it says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs a boating license | Anyone resident in Puerto Rico and born after July 1, 1972 needs a license to run a boat that must be numbered (registered). It comes from passing a course and written exam run or certified by DRNA, the Coast Guard, NASBLA or another body DRNA accredits. The law does not name non-residents; whether a visitor's home-state boating card counts is unconfirmed. | Art. 7.9(d) (opens in a new tab) |
| Renting a jet ski | No license needed when you rent from an authorized business: show official photo ID. Anyone 14 or older may drive the rented jet ski if the renter is aboard. | Art. 7.9(d) (opens in a new tab); 9.6(g) (opens in a new tab) |
| Minimum ages to drive | Under 12: no motorboat over 10 hp unless with an adult. Under 10: 10 hp at most. Under 14: no jet ski unless with an adult. | Art. 7.9(b) (opens in a new tab) |
| Minimum age to rent | 21 for any craft with an engine, including jet skis and sailboats with a motor. 12 for craft without one: paddleboards, rowboats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats without a motor, inflatables. | Art. 9.6(g) (opens in a new tab); definitions Art. 3(K) (opens in a new tab), 3(L) (opens in a new tab) |
| Life jackets | Children under 12 must wear one while the boat is moving (except inside the cabin, on licensed passenger vessels and at sanctioned events). Fine $100, or $250 on a commercial boat, up to $1,000 per event. Jet-ski drivers and passengers always wear one ($50). Water-skiers wear one, and towing needs an observer besides the driver. | Art. 7.9(n) (opens in a new tab), (m) (opens in a new tab), (g) (opens in a new tab), (f) (opens in a new tab) |
| Alcohol (not allowed) | 0.08% blood alcohol for 21 and over; 0.02% for 18 to 20; any alcohol under 18. The limits apply to kayaks, paddleboards and other non-motor craft too. | Art. 7.9(o) (opens in a new tab) to (r) (opens in a new tab) |
| Speed in marinas and anchorages | 5 mph maximum, no wake, inside marinas and anchoring areas. | Art. 7.8(a)(2) (opens in a new tab) |
| Careless or negligent operation | $250, for a boat or for a non-motor craft. | Art. 7.9(a) (opens in a new tab) |
| Overloading | No running above the maker's passenger or weight capacity: $250. | Art. 7.9(e) (opens in a new tab) |
| Buoys you may not tie to (not allowed) | DRNA buoys that mark an area or a speed limit are not moorings: no tying to them, or to fish-trap buoys. | Art. 7.9(j) (opens in a new tab) |
| Swimmers (not allowed) | Swimming beyond the buoyed bathing limits is prohibited. | Art. 7.9(h) (opens in a new tab) |
Kayaks, paddleboards and kites
Ley 430 counts anything without a motor as a "vehículo de navegación", with rules of its own.
| Rule | What it says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| What counts | A "vehículo de navegación" is any craft moved without a motor: paddleboards, rowboats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats, boards with or without a sail, rafts and inflatables. Kiteboards and wing boards fit "any device that moves over the water without a motor", by our reading; no court or DRNA ruling says so. | Art. 3(L) (opens in a new tab) |
| Bathing areas | No craft, with or without a motor, may operate, pass through or anchor in areas reserved for bathers or for natural-resource protection. Those areas are marked with buoys, with signs in Spanish and English. Ride and paddle outside the buoys. | Art. 7.1 (opens in a new tab); 7.4 (opens in a new tab) |
| Kites | No Puerto Rico law, DRNA regulation or town ordinance names kitesurfing. The bathing-area rule above is the one that binds kiters. | Art. 7.1 (opens in a new tab) |
| Lagoons and lakes | DRNA may regulate or ban craft in lagoons and lakes. No boat over 30 hp in a lagoon or lake, with some exceptions. | Art. 7.3 (opens in a new tab) |
| Where jet skis may go | Anywhere not reserved for bathers or resource protection, unless DRNA limits them by regulation. | Art. 7.7 (opens in a new tab) |
| Towing a rider | Towing a person (a tow-in or a jet-ski-assisted foil session) needs an observer aboard besides the driver. | Art. 7.9(f) (opens in a new tab) |
| Federal life-jacket rule | Every recreational vessel carries a wearable life jacket for each person; boats 16 ft and longer also carry a throwable (canoes and kayaks excepted). Sailboards are exempt from carrying one. | 33 CFR 175.15 (opens in a new tab), 175.17 (opens in a new tab) |
| Wildlife refuges | In the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, closed areas "shall not be visited by land or sea at any time", and any commercial activity (a lesson, a tour) needs a Special Use Permit. | USFWS (opens in a new tab) |
Reporting to CBP on arrival
Every boat arriving in Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra, from the U.S. Virgin Islands or from a foreign port. A round trip from Puerto Rico to the USVI means reporting in both places.
- On arrival, the master calls CBP immediately: 1-877-529-6840 or (787) 729-6840, staffed 8:00 to midnight, every day.
- After hours, leave the boat's name, registration, date and time of arrival and a call-back number, and call again after 8:00.
- Have ready: the name, date of birth and citizenship of everyone aboard (passports and visas where needed), the boat's name, registration and nationality, the CBP user-fee decal number if the boat is 30 ft or longer, and the cruising-license number for a foreign boat that has one.
- CBP may tell you to report in person at a designated site. Instead of the call you may use the free CBP ROAM app, which can start a video interview, or a Verified Traveler number.
Anyone who needs an I-94, a cruising license or to pay duty must still appear in person (Noonsite's summary of CBP ROAM; check with CBP).
Designated inspection sites
| Port | Site | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan | San Juan Bay Marina, Club Náutico de San Juan, Cangrejos Yacht Club | 1-877-529-6840; (787) 729-6840 |
| Fajardo | Puerto Real municipal pier, in front of the Custom House | (787) 863-0950; (787) 863-0102 |
| Culebra | Dewey Dock, Ensenada Honda | (787) 742-3531; alt. (787) 863-0950 |
| Vieques | Mosquito Pier | (787) 741-8366; alt. (787) 863-0950 |
| Ponce | Ponce Pier, Caribbean Image Marina (name unconfirmed today) | (787) 841-3130; 841-3131 |
| Mayagüez | Mayagüez Seaport | (787) 831-3340, 3368, 3369, 3370; airport (787) 882-3556 |
| St Thomas (USVI) | E. W. Blyden Marine Terminal | 1-877-305-8774 |
| St John (USVI) | Cruz Bay | 1-877-305-8775 |
| St Croix (USVI) | Gallows Bay | 1-340-773-1011 day; 1-340-773-1490 after hours |
- The decal Private boats 30 ft and longer need the annual CBP user-fee decal, bought through DTOPS (help desk (317) 298-1245, decals@dhs.gov). We have not verified this year's fee.
- Penalties $5,000 for a first failure to report, $10,000 for each later one, and the boat may be seized; up to $2,000 and a year in jail for an intentional violation (19 USC 1436). Three boats were seized in Puerto Rico this fiscal year and 12 penalties ($60,000) issued since January 2026, per a September 2026 report.
- Foreign yachts A foreign pleasure boat from a country that gives U.S. yachts the same privilege can get a cruising license at its first U.S. port: up to one year, not renewable, and it exempts the boat from the decal while it lasts.
Sources (6)
- CBP, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands pleasure-boat reporting (Sep 29, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- CBP reminds boaters of reporting requirements in the Caribbean (opens in a new tab)
- Noonsite, CBP ROAM summary (opens in a new tab)
- San Juan Daily Star, CBP small-boat reporting fines (Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- CBP ruling 112465, cruising licenses (opens in a new tab)
- CBP Dec. 08-27 (opens in a new tab)
Visiting boats and registration
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| A boat with a valid number from another state may stay up to 60 days in a calendar year without Puerto Rico numbering; after that, register the number with DRNA. | Art. 9.7(a) (opens in a new tab) |
| Boats owned or used by Puerto Rico residents register within 60 days of first entry. | Art. 9.5 (opens in a new tab) |
| Foreign-flag boats, and Coast Guard documented boats carrying the CBP decal, may stay up to one year exempt (not if owned by a resident). Nautical-tourism vessels under Ley 241-2010 may also stay a year, then must leave. | Art. 9.7(b) (opens in a new tab), (f) (opens in a new tab) |
| A tender marked "T/T" with the mother ship's name is exempt. | Art. 9.7(e) (opens in a new tab) |
| Registered boats renew a yearly marbete (sticker) in DRNA's Neptuno registry; DRNA renewed 5,451 between January and July 2026. | Art. 9.5 (opens in a new tab) |
| Registration fees on DRNA's 2016 sheet (may have changed): $25 to 15 ft, $50 for 16 to 21 ft, $100 for 22 to 29 ft, $200 for 30 to 39 ft, $300 for 40 to 64 ft, $400 for 65 ft and over. The applicant must be 21 or older. | DRNA fee sheet, 2016 (opens in a new tab) |
| DRNA's boating license office (Oficina del Comisionado de Navegación): Carr. 8838 Km 6.3, Sector El Cinco, Río Piedras; 787-999-2200 ext. 5145, 2491, 5153 or 5154; Mon to Fri 7:30 to 15:30. Its 2015 sheet lists a $50 course and a $15 first license (may have changed). | DRNA sheet, 2015 (opens in a new tab) |
Sources (5)
- Ley 430-2000 as amended, OGP consolidated text (Aug 28, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, DRNA renews 5,400+ boat marbetes (Jul 20, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, the Neptuno boat registry (Oct 9, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- DRNA, vessel registration fees (Dec 2016) (opens in a new tab)
- DRNA, first boating license requirements (Jul 2015) (opens in a new tab)
Reserves, manatees and moorings
| Where | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Manatee zones | DRNA's press releases say 5 knots in manatee zones; the buoys DRNA is buying read "Manatee Area 5MPH". The units differ, and 5 knots is the faster of the two: go 5 mph and you satisfy both. No official map of the zones was found; warning buoys already stand in Caño Martín Peña (San Juan) and at Caracoles, Mata La Gata and Collado cays (La Parguera), and about 100 more are planned along the south and east coasts. | DRNA buoy request, 2026 (opens in a new tab) |
| Mar Negro, Bahía de Jobos: no jet skis (not allowed) | A DRNA administrative order announced July 14, 2026 bans jet skis from using, running, parking in or passing through the Mar Negro sector of Bahía de Jobos (Salinas), where Puerto Rico's manatees gather most. Fishing boats up to 25 ft are exempt. Fines up to $5,000 per incident, each day a separate violation. The order's number and boundaries were not published. | DRNA order, Jul 14, 2026 (opens in a new tab) |
| Canal Luis Peña reserve (Culebra) | No fishing of any kind. Moorings, or sand in the southern zone, only. Tour operators need a DRNA permit. | 2008 management plan (opens in a new tab) |
| DRNA moorings | Day use only (six hours), boats to 60 ft, never in winds over 40 mph or as storm shelter. These are the 2012 plan's rules; whether each is enforced today is unconfirmed, so follow them. | DRNA mooring plan, 2012 (opens in a new tab) |
| Isla de Mona | A DRNA reserve: visits need DRNA's prior permission. | Senate resolution (opens in a new tab) |
| Fishing license | Regulation 7949 requires a recreational fishing license, but a 2026 Senate bill says the licenses were never effectively put in place, and DRNA paused fines for fishing without one for 60 days in March 2026. Whether a visitor needs one now is unconfirmed: ask DRNA. | Reg. 7949; P. del S. 952 (opens in a new tab) |
| Hiring a boat | Commercial boat operators need a Tourism Company nautical-tourism certification (Ley 241-2010). A 2025 Comptroller audit found 68% operating without a valid one, and no public registry. Ask to see the certification and the captain's Coast Guard license. | Ley 241-2010 (opens in a new tab) |
Where to anchor and where not to, including the unexploded-ordnance zones off Culebra and Vieques: anchorages.
Sources (13)
- Metro, manatee warning buoys in Caño Martín Peña (Mar 3, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, DRNA swim-area buoys at Carolina and Vega Baja (Mar 13, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- DRNA request for proposals, manatee buoys (Aug 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Primera Hora, caution near manatees at Isla de Cabras (opens in a new tab)
- El Nuevo Día, DRNA bans jet skis in Bahía de Jobos sector (Jul 14, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, jet skis banned in a Bahía de Jobos sector (Jul 14, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Corales del Este, Canal Luis Peña reserve rules (summary of the 2008 management plan) (opens in a new tab)
- DRNA mooring plan (Plan de Ordenamiento para el Uso de Embarcaciones y Boyas de Amarre) (2012) (opens in a new tab)
- PR Senate resolution on Isla de Mona visits (2025) (opens in a new tab)
- PR Senate bill P. del S. 952 (2026) on fishing licenses (2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, 60-day moratorium on fishing-license fines (Mar 2, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, most nautical-tourism businesses lack a valid certification (May 27, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Metro, Comptroller follow-up on nautical tourism (Apr 14, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Read from the OGP consolidated text of Ley 430 (rev. Aug 28, 2026). Read the law. DRNA license office: 787-999-2200.