Boat insurance in Arizona
You do not have to buy boat insurance under Arizona law, though a marina can still insist on liability coverage before letting you moor there.
- Does Arizona law require boat insurance?
- NoLenders and marinas can still ask for it
- A $25,000 pontoon here
- $300 to $800 a yearMiddle-cost state in Progressive's averages
- Registered boats, 2024
- 156,978U.S. Coast Guard count
- Boater education
- Not requiredArizona requires no boater education; only AZGFD volunteer instructors have to take a course.
Sources: azleg.gov, azleg.gov; U.S. Coast Guard 2024 boating statistics; Progressive state averages.
Want a firm price for a boat kept in Arizona? Send a quote request or call +1 (833) 721-5475.
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What kind of boat?
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What you paid, or what boats like it sell for. A rough figure is fine.
Type the value in dollars, between $500 and $5,000,000.
An estimate, not a quote. How we work it out
The line reaches Boat Insurance Compare. Have the boat, its value and your state ready.
Rather have it in writing? Send a quote request with the answers you just gave.
Most boats kept in Arizona cost a few hundred dollars a year to insure, while larger craft such as cruisers and yachts sit higher.
Insuring a Boat in Arizona
The U.S. Coast Guard 2024 count puts Arizona's registered recreational boats at 156,978. That same year, the state logged 97 boating accidents, with 11 deaths, 79 injuries, and $1,049,044 in property damage.
Those numbers show what can go wrong on the water. What a policy pays for depends on the coverage you choose, so check whether it covers damage to your boat, liability for injuries, or both. The liability part is what pays out when an accident is your fault and someone gets hurt or their belongings get damaged.
Do you have to insure your boat?
Nothing in Arizona law forces you to insure a boat. The Coast Guard's table of state boating laws shows Arizona with no liability insurance requirement for boaters. Even so, Progressive also notes that marinas can demand liability coverage before they let you dock.
Rental boats have no insurance rule either. HB2398, a 2026 bill, would have required rental owners to hold commercial liability coverage for their boats. The House rejected it in its final vote on June 13, 2026. Right now the law only says rental firms must hold on to records of anyone who hires their boats for a minimum of three months.
When a marina wants evidence that you carry liability cover, call us and we'll help you find a policy that meets its terms.
Arizona boating rules to know
Beyond insurance, Arizona has boating rules worth knowing before you take your boat out.
- Registration: Arizona Game and Fish requires every motorboat to be registered, no matter the size, and boats with electric motors count too.
- Boater education: ordinary boaters in Arizona do not have to take a boating course.
- Kids under 12: they may not operate any motorboat or personal watercraft above 8 horsepower without a parent, guardian, or someone aged 18 or older on board.
- Alcohol: the law bans operating a motorboat at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher. A conviction means a minimum of 10 straight days behind bars.
- Visitors: anyone boating from another state has to pay the Nonresident Boating Safety Infrastructure Fee ahead of launching here.
- Mussels: any boat that has sat for six straight days or longer in water carrying invasive species like quagga mussels needs inspection and cleaning before it goes anywhere else.
What does boat insurance cost?
Progressive counts Arizona among its medium-cost states. Across 2024 and 2025, the average Progressive boat policy in that group ran $413 a year. What you pay comes down mostly to your boat's type and value.
Our own estimates for boats based in Arizona are guide prices, not quotes.
| Boat type | What it's worth | Estimated cost per year |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon | $25,000 | $300 to $800 |
| Jet ski | $14,000 | $140 to $500 |
| Sailboat | $45,000 | $500 to $1,500 |
| Fishing or bass boat | $40,000 | $400 to $800 |
| Wake, ski, or bowrider boat | $50,000 | $500 to $800 |
| Yacht or cruiser | $150,000 | $1,500 to $3,000 |
In three short steps, the price range on our home page gives you a range for your own boat. Our cost page explains the method behind these numbers.
Estimates only go so far, so call us with your boat's details and we will get you real prices.
Questions people ask
What does insurance cost for a $10,000 boat?
By our estimate, a $10,000 pontoon, fishing boat or bowrider kept in Arizona costs about $300 to $500 a year, and a $10,000 sailboat about $500 to $750. In Arizona, a $14,000 jet ski runs about $140 to $500 a year. For an estimate based on your own boat, try the three-step price range.
Is there property tax on boats in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not charge property tax on boats, and the license tax that normally stands in for property tax does not apply either. Registering your boat is a separate cost.
Which insurer is cheapest for boats in Arizona?
There is no one company that is cheapest for every boat. The price shifts with the boat and what it is worth. Comparing quotes side by side is how you find the best price for your boat.
Boat insurers to compare in Arizona
| Insurer | Policy issued by | Payout after a loss | Towing on the water |
|---|---|---|---|
 Progressive | Progressive | Partial losses paid at full replacement cost with comprehensive and collision | Sign & Glide on-water towing, optional |
 BoatUS | GEICO Marine | Agreed hull value (except PWC) or actual cash value | TowBoatUS add-on starting at $3 a month |
 GEICO | GEICO Marine Insurance Company | Choice of agreed hull value or actual cash value | Add-on through BoatUS, 24/7 |
 State Farm | State Farm Fire and Casualty | Total loss paid at agreed value; repairs at replacement cost | Emergency service covered |
 Allstate | Allstate | Agreed value available | Emergency services covered up to $100 |
 Markel | Markel American | Agreed value; actual cash value available on yachts | Emergency towing offered |
What each insurer publishes about its own policy; each confirms on the quote that it writes your boat in Arizona. All insurers side by side
Arizona boating rules an insurer will ask about
| Topic | The rule in Arizona | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boat rentals | HB2398, a 2026 bill, fails at the final House vote; it would have required commercial liability coverage for boat rentals. HB2398 would have made rental owners and liveries hold commercial boat liability coverage; it is not law. A.R.S. 5-371 now makes boat liveries retain hirer records for three months or more, with no insurance clause. | legiscan.com, azleg.gov |
| Boater education | Arizona requires no boater education; only AZGFD volunteer instructors have to take a course. | uscgboating.org |
| Jet ski age | If you are under 12, you cannot run any watercraft with more than 8 hp, including PWC, except when a parent/guardian or a person 18+ is on board. | azleg.gov |
| Registration | Every motorboat needs registration from Arizona Game and Fish, whatever its size, even boats with electric motors. | azgfd.com |
| Also in this state | Arizona watercraft skip property tax, plus license taxes that replace property tax. Nonresidents pay the Nonresident Boating Safety Infrastructure Fee before running a boat on Arizona waters. After 6+ straight days in infested water, such as quagga mussels, a boat needs inspection and decontamination before transport. | azleg.gov, azgfd.com |
| Boating under the influence | Arizona law bars anyone from operating a motorized watercraft when their blood alcohol level reaches 0.08 or higher. An OUI conviction is a class 1 misdemeanor under A.R.S. 5-395, with no less than 10 straight days in jail. | azleg.gov |
| Accidents reported, 2024 | 97 boating accidents, 11 deaths and 79 people injured, with $1,049,044 of reported damage. | uscgboating.org |
How Arizona compares with every other state: the boat insurance law table.
Quotes for a boat kept in Arizona
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