Boat insurance in Oregon
Oregon doesn't require boat insurance, but the State Marine Board strongly recommends it, and one accident can get expensive fast.
- Does Oregon 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
- 150,115U.S. Coast Guard count
- Boater education
- Over 10 hp; youths 12-15 any motorboatAnyone aged 16 or older must have a boating education card to run a powerboat over 10 hp, and a PWC counts as a powerboat. Youths aged 12 to 15 need the card to operate any motorboat, whatever its size.
Sources: oregon.gov, oregon.gov; U.S. Coast Guard 2024 boating statistics; Progressive state averages.
Want a firm price for a boat kept in Oregon? 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.
What you pay depends mostly on what kind of boat you have and what it's worth. Insuring an average boat based here usually runs a few hundred dollars per year. Call us today and tell us your boat's value, and we'll work out a price range for your boat.
Oregon boating at a glance
Oregon had 150,115 registered boats in 2024. That year, the U.S. Coast Guard counted 58 accidents, 19 deaths, 29 injuries and $451,997 in property damage. Insurance can help keep one bad day on the water from turning into a bill you pay yourself.
A boat can do harm without ever striking another object. As it travels, it pushes out waves behind it, called a wake. Boats must travel slowly and leave no wake anywhere within 200 feet of a ramp, marina, or moorage, and the person at the helm may be liable for harm those waves cause. If your wake causes damage, the bill can land on you, and liability coverage can help pay it.
Does Oregon require boat insurance?
If you own a boat privately, no law says you must insure it. The Oregon State Marine Board confirms this directly, yet it still strongly recommends having coverage.
Registered outfitters and guides have a different requirement. Those who register with the State Marine Board have to hold general liability insurance of $500,000 or more per occurrence. That requirement applies to registered outfitters and guides, not private boat owners.
Oregon boat insurance cost
Progressive groups Oregon with its medium-cost states. During 2024 and 2025, the average yearly boat policy in that group came to $413.
We worked out these numbers ourselves for boats kept in Oregon. Treat them as estimates, not quotes.
| Boat type and worth | Rough yearly cost |
|---|---|
| Jet ski worth $14,000 | about $140 to $500 |
| Pontoon worth $25,000 | about $300 to $800 |
| Bass or fishing boat worth $40,000 | about $400 to $800 |
| Sailboat worth $45,000 | about $500 to $1,500 |
| Ski, wake, or bowrider boat worth $50,000 | about $500 to $800 |
| Cruiser or yacht worth $150,000 | about $1,500 to $3,000 |
Call us today with your boat's type and value, and we'll help you find a price range for your own boat. You can also see how we work it out.
Rules every Oregon boater should know
The State Marine Board handles boat titles, registration, and boater education cards.
- Title and registration: Every motorboat, whatever its length, plus sailboats 12 feet and longer, needs a title and registration, even if it stays moored.
- Registration fee: Motorboats pay $5.95 for each foot, rounded up, plus a surcharge of $8 for aquatic invasive species.
- Boats from other states: A motorboat from another state launched in Oregon must carry an Aquatic Invasive Species Permit for out-of-state boats, which costs $31.50.
- Boater education card: Anyone aged 16 or up needs the card to operate any powerboat or jet ski with more than 10 horsepower. Youths aged 12 to 15 need it for motorboats of any size.
A youth aged 12 to 15 can operate a boat over 10 horsepower only if a card holder aged 16 or older is on board, or 18 or older for a jet ski. Kids 11 and younger cannot run a motorboat at all.
Oregon law makes it illegal to operate a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and an owner cannot knowingly permit that. A blood alcohol reading of .08 or more counts as impaired. If convicted, you could face a fine as high as $6,250, as much as a year behind bars, or both penalties together.
Questions Oregon boaters often ask about insurance
What does insurance cost for a $30,000 boat?
In Oregon, a $30,000 sailboat is about $500 to $1,500 a year, while a $30,000 pontoon, fishing boat, or bowrider is about $300 to $800 a year. Call us with your boat's value to go over your options.
How do I get the cheapest boat insurance in Oregon?
Start with the Boater Education Card. The State Marine Board points out that certain insurers cut the price by as much as 15% when a boater holds one, and if you're 16 or older and operate a powerboat or jet ski with more than 10 horsepower, you need the card anyway.
How do I find out what my own boat would cost?
Call us with your boat's type and value, and we'll help you find a price range for your own boat before the season starts.
Boat insurers to compare in Oregon
| 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 Oregon. All insurers side by side
Oregon boating rules an insurer will ask about
| Topic | The rule in Oregon | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boat rentals | Outfitters and guides on the State Marine Board registry need general liability coverage with a $500,000 minimum combined single limit for each occurrence. | oregon.public.law |
| Boater education | Anyone aged 16 or older must have a boating education card to run a powerboat over 10 hp, and a PWC counts as a powerboat. Youths aged 12 to 15 need the card to operate any motorboat, whatever its size. | oregon.gov |
| Jet ski age | At 12 to 15, a youth can run any boat with more than 10 hp only if a card holder is aboard and is 16 or older; for a personal watercraft, that card holder has to be 18 or older. Children 11 and under cannot run a motorboat. | oregon.gov |
| Registration | Oregon requires title and registration for every motorboat, whatever its length, and for sailboats measuring 12 feet or more. Motorboat registration runs $5.95 for each foot, rounded up, with an added aquatic invasive species surcharge of $8. | oregon.gov |
| Title | Oregon requires a title for the same boats it registers: every motorboat and any sailboat measuring 12 feet or more, even while moored. | oregon.gov |
| Boating under the influence | Oregon law prohibits anyone impaired by intoxicants from operating any boat or from having actual physical control of one. It also bars owners who knowingly permit that. When boating in Oregon, a blood alcohol reading at or above .08 counts as under the influence. A BUII conviction can bring a fine as high as $6,250 and/or as much as 1 year in jail. | oregon.public.law, sheriff.columbiacountyor.gov |
| Also in this state | A motorboat from another state launched in Oregon waters needs the out-of-state version of the Aquatic Invasive Species Permit, priced at $31.50. Boats have to go slow-no wake near ramps, marinas and moorages, inside 200 feet, and the operator may face liability for damage the wake causes. | oregon.gov |
| Who runs boating | Oregon State Marine Board handles boat titles, registration and boater education cards. | oregon.gov |
| Accidents reported, 2024 | 58 boating accidents, 19 deaths and 29 people injured, with $451,997 of reported damage. | uscgboating.org |
How Oregon compares with every other state: the boat insurance law table.
Quotes for a boat kept in Oregon
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