Boat insurance in Delaware

You will not be pulled over for having no policy, since no Delaware law demands one. That said, marinas may require liability coverage, the part that pays when you injure someone or damage their property. Lenders, meanwhile, may require physical damage cover, which handles repairs or replacement of your own boat.

Borrowing money or renting a slip? Check their requirements before anything else. When you call, we can shape a policy around exactly what they ask for.

You will not find insurance among the rules, but every owner still has obligations to meet.

• Registration: Every motorboat, even electric models, has to be registered with DNREC when Delaware is its primary home waters. A vessel measuring 16 feet up to just under 26 feet runs $40 annually, or $120 for a three-year term. Anything shorter than 16 feet is $20 per year.
• Boating safety course: If you were born on January 1, 1978 or later, you must finish a course before driving any motorized vessel, jet skis included, on state waters.
• Jet ski operators: Riders need to be 14 or older and carry a course certificate. Anyone aged 14 or 15 also needs an adult along.
• Out-of-state boats: A vessel registered in another state but launched at a DNREC tidal access spot requires a Tidal Access Boat Ramp Certificate, priced at $35.
• Trailers: Boat trailers get titled and registered through the Delaware DMV, apart from the vessel itself.
• Alcohol: Operating a vessel that is underway with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher is prohibited. A first violation brings a $200 to $1,000 fine, 60 days to 6 months behind bars, or both.

Anyone running a rental business has to log the name and address of every renter. Nothing in the rental law mentions insurance.

According to the Delaware Department of Insurance, homeowners cover may protect a small boat for as little as $1,500 or less in physical damage. The liability side is limited too. A standalone boat policy fills that space, and we can tell you the price for your boat.

Progressive places Delaware in its high-cost group of states, and the average policy there ran $663 a year in 2024-2025. What you pay comes down mainly to your boat's type and value. Treat these figures as our estimates rather than quotes.

Because Delaware sits on the coast in storm country, coastal policies frequently include a separate deductible for named storms like hurricanes. Your deductible is what you pay out of pocket before the insurer steps in. Raise the question before you commit.

Under Delaware law, insurers must file a rate reduction lasting three years whenever every operator of a noncommercial boat finishes a DNREC-approved boating safety course. That means each person who takes the wheel needs to have completed it. Give us the names of your boat's operators, and we will request the reduction on your behalf.

The U.S. Coast Guard recorded 18 recreational boating accidents in Delaware during 2024, with zero fatalities, five people hurt, and $503,100 in property losses. A damage figure like that shows why liability and repair cover are worth having.