California Boating Speed Limits and Wake Rules

**On California waters, the key limits are 5 mph near swimmers and beaches, safe speed at all times, and no towing or PWC operation between sunset and sunrise. Many harbors and lakes add stricter local limits, so always read the posted signs.** The statewide rules below come from the Division of Boating and Waterways' ABCs of California Boating handbook (2017 edition).

The 5 mph rules

Motorboats must keep to **5 mph** within:

• **100 feet of a bather** (but not a water skier), and
• **200 feet of a bathing beach, swimming float, diving platform or lifeline.**

Safe speed

Operate at a speed that lets you take action to avoid a collision and stop within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances. That means slowing down in traffic, in poor visibility and in crowded anchorages. You are responsible for operating safely and for your wake.

Towing and water skiing

• You need **one other person in the boat** besides the operator to observe the person being towed. The observer must be **at least 12 years old**.
• Display a **red or orange ski flag**, at least 12 inches on each side. It signals a downed skier, a skier preparing to ski, an extended ski line, or a ski in the water.
• **Towing water skiers from sunset to sunrise is prohibited** by state law.
• Anyone being towed must wear a **USCG-approved life jacket**.

Personal watercraft (PWC)

• Operators must be **16 or older**. Ages 12 to 15 may operate only if supervised on board by an adult at least 18.
• Attach the **lanyard** (engine cutoff) to your person if the PWC is equipped with one.
• **No PWC operation from sunset to sunrise.**
• Everyone on a PWC must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II, III or V life jacket.

Age and horsepower

No one under 16 may operate a boat with a motor of more than 15 horsepower, except a sailboat under 30 feet. Ages 12 to 15 may operate a boat of that size if supervised on board by an adult at least 18. Separately, all motorized vessel operators now need a California Boater Card; see our Boater Card guide if you need details.

Boating under the influence (BUI)

The legal limits are **0.08% blood alcohol concentration or more at age 21 and over**, and **0.01% or more under 21**. These are the limits listed in the DBW handbook; the penalties are beyond the scope of this guide, so check the official laws.

Local speed zones

Harbors, lakes and parks set their own limits, often lower than the statewide rules, and they apply on top of them. These examples come from Dockya's location listings. They can change, so confirm locally and watch for posted signs.

• **Marina del Rey:** a 5-knot maximum speed and no wake everywhere in the harbor, per Los Angeles County.
• **Newport Harbor:** a 5 mph maximum speed and no wake, enforced from the harbor entrance throughout the harbor, per the City of Newport Beach.
• **Mission Bay:** 5 mph from sunset to sunrise everywhere in the bay. In daylight, 5 mph within 100 feet of shore, within 200 feet of docks and floats, under bridges and where buoys mark it, and Sail Bay is limited to 5 mph from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 1 through October 31. Water skiing is only in designated take-off and landing zones and is prohibited between sunset and sunrise.
• **Lake Tahoe:** 5 mph within 600 feet of shore, 200 feet of structures and 100 feet of swimmers and paddlers. Speed is also 5 mph throughout Emerald Bay.
• **Lake Elsinore:** maximum speed 35 mph, no-wake zones are 5 mph, and night operations are limited to 5 mph. Towing requires an observer and an orange 12-by-12-inch flag, with a maximum 75-foot tow line outside high-speed zones.
• **Ventura Harbor and Santa Barbara Harbor:** the speed limit in Ventura Harbor and its entrance channel is 5 mph, and Santa Barbara Harbor has a 5 mph maximum with no wake.
• **Dana Point Harbor:** a 5 mph no-wake limit applies throughout the protected waters, per the Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol.

Checklist for any new waterway

• Look for posted speed and no-wake signs at the ramp and in the channel.
• Know whether the limit is in knots or miles per hour.
• Check hours: some rules apply only at night or at certain times of year.
• Check the lake or harbor's own page or the managing agency for towing and ski-zone rules.
• Keep life jackets on board and worn where required, and your boater card with you.

For the full text of California's boating laws, start with the DBW Laws and Regulations page, and see the ABCs of California Boating (2017).

This guide is general information, not legal advice; check the linked official pages.