Boat insurance in Nebraska

Plenty of people boat in Nebraska. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 76,931 recreational boats were registered across the state during 2024.

Things can still go wrong out on the water here. The same Coast Guard report shows 10 boating accidents in Nebraska during 2024, with one death, eight injuries, and $56,500 in property damage. A policy can help pay for a day like that if it ever happens to you.

No. According to the state's boating questions page, nothing in Nebraska law requires boat owners to hold insurance. The U.S. Coast Guard's state law table also lists Nebraska among the states with no liability insurance requirement. Liability cover handles costs when you injure someone or harm their property and it is your fault.

The state's rental motorboat rules do not state an insurance requirement. Anyone renting out motorboats has to keep a record of every renter, held for six months or more, noting the boat, when it left, and when it should come back.

Since the state leaves this decision in your hands, what matters is picking the right amount of cover for your boat. Call now and we can size that cover with you.

These yearly prices by boat type are our own estimates for boats kept in Nebraska. An estimate gives you a likely price range, while a quote is the actual firm price an insurer sets for your particular boat.

Try the three-step price range tool on our home page to get a range for your boat. We also explain how we work out these numbers. To get a firm price on your own boat, just give us a call.

Insurance aside, Nebraska has rules for boat registration, titles and who can operate a boat. Here are the state rules that come into play.

• Registration: Nebraska requires registration for every motorized boat used on its waters, such as on the Missouri River and on Lewis and Clark Lake, with a few exceptions listed by the state.
• Registration period: three years, expiring on December 31 of year three. Your county treasurer handles new registrations.
• Fees: $44 for boats shorter than 16 feet and every canoe, and $64 for boats from 16 feet up to just under 26 feet.
• Invasive species fee: motorboats registered in Nebraska pay an added $5 alongside the three-year registration. The money goes toward keeping damaging plants and animals away from Nebraska's lakes and rivers.
• Title: a title is required for any boat newer than the 1972 model year.
• Minimum age: you have to be 14 or older to operate a motorboat or jet ski.
• Drinking: operating a motorboat with a blood alcohol reading of 0.08% or above can mean a fine reaching $1,000 and jail time of up to six months, as set out in state statute 37-1254.01.