Boat insurance in Tennessee
Tennessee does not require boat insurance, but your marina may require liability coverage before renting you a slip.
- Does Tennessee 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
- 244,031U.S. Coast Guard count
- Boater education
- Born after Jan 1, 1989; over 8.5 hpTennessee residents whose birthday falls after January 1, 1989 must hold a boating education certificate from TWRA to run a vessel with over 8.5 hp.
Sources: tn.gov, tn.gov; U.S. Coast Guard 2024 boating statistics; Progressive state averages.
Want a firm price for a boat kept in Tennessee? 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.
A year of cover for most boats costs a few hundred dollars. Call us today with your boat's type and value, and we'll talk through coverage and price before your next day on the water.
Tennessee boats at a glance
The U.S. Coast Guard counted 244,031 registered recreational boats in 2024 in Tennessee. Over that same year, the state recorded 129 boating accidents that left 15 people dead and 56 hurt, along with $1,227,427 in property damage.
Even a careful boater can be caught in someone else's mistake. Call us today, and we'll talk through coverage before your next trip out.
What does Tennessee require of boats and boaters?
Tennessee has no law making you insure your boat. The requirement you are most likely to run into comes from the marina, which may want proof of liability coverage before renting you a slip.
The state does regulate boats and their operators:
- Boater education: If you live in Tennessee and were born after January 1, 1989, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency requires you to hold a boating education certificate before operating anything over 8.5 horsepower, and the wallet card has to be with you on the water.
- Young drivers: A child under 12 at the helm of a motorized boat over 8.5 horsepower must have someone 18 or older supervising on board, per the Tennessee boating handbook. Nobody under 16 can rent a jet ski.
- Registration: Every motorized boat and every sailboat kept mainly in Tennessee has to be registered with the agency, even a boat that only runs an electric trolling motor. The state does not title boats.
- First registration: For a first-time application, a county clerk or boat dealer certifies it, and you must prove the sales tax on the boat was paid.
- Rentals: Before handing over a motorized boat, the rental business gives you an orientation and has you sign a check sheet, which it holds onto in its records.
Boating under the influence
In Tennessee, a boater with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or above is presumed impaired. A first offense counts as a Class A misdemeanor. The penalty includes at least 48 consecutive hours behind bars and a fine between $350 and $1,500.
What does boat insurance cost in Tennessee?
Progressive places Tennessee in its medium-cost group of states. In 2024 to 2025, the average Progressive boat policy in that group ran $413 a year. Your boat's type and value are the details we use to talk through a price range.
These estimates apply to boats kept in Tennessee, and they are not quotes.
| Kind of boat | Typical value | What you might pay per year |
|---|---|---|
| Personal watercraft (jet ski) | $14,000 | Around $140 to $500 |
| Pontoon boat | $25,000 | Around $300 to $800 |
| Fishing or bass boat | $40,000 | Around $400 to $800 |
| Sailboat | $45,000 | Around $500 to $1,500 |
| Ski, wake, or bowrider boat | $50,000 | Around $500 to $800 |
| Yacht or cruiser | $150,000 | Around $1,500 to $3,000 |
Call us with your boat's type and value, and we'll talk through coverage and price before your next trip. You can also see a range on our home page, and our cost method page shows how we work it out.
Questions we hear often
What does insurance cost for a $30,000 boat?
Our estimates for a $25,000 pontoon and a $40,000 fishing boat run about $300 to $800 a year, and a $30,000 boat falls between them in value. Call us with your boat's details, and we'll talk through your price.
Which company offers the cheapest boat insurance in Tennessee?
The best price depends on your boat's type and value, so call us with those two details and we'll talk through your price.
Boat insurers to compare in Tennessee
| 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 Tennessee. All insurers side by side
Tennessee boating rules an insurer will ask about
| Topic | The rule in Tennessee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boater education | Tennessee residents whose birthday falls after January 1, 1989 must hold a boating education certificate from TWRA to run a vessel with over 8.5 hp. Certified boaters have to keep the wallet card on them while operating. | tn.gov |
| Jet ski age | Anyone under 12 running a motorized vessel with over 8.5 hp needs a supervisor at least 18 years old on board. No one under 16 may rent a personal watercraft. | tn.gov |
| Registration | Every mechanically powered vessel, including documented recreational vessels and electric trolling motors, plus sailboats that are principally used in Tennessee, has to be registered with TWRA. | tn.gov |
| Title | Tennessee issues no titles for boats. | tn.gov |
| Boating under the influence | The law presumes an operator is under the influence once BAC reaches 0.08%. A first BUI counts as a Class A misdemeanor and brings a minimum of 48 consecutive hours behind bars plus a fine of $350 to $1,500. | tn.gov, law.justia.com |
| Who runs boating | TWRA registers boats, and a county clerk or a boat dealer certifies first-time applications. | tn.gov |
| Also in this state | First-time registrations call for certification that the sales tax on the boat was paid. A livery must give renters of motorized watercraft an orientation, and the renter signs a check sheet the livery keeps on file. | tn.gov |
| Accidents reported, 2024 | 129 boating accidents, 15 deaths and 56 people injured, with $1,227,427 of reported damage. | uscgboating.org |
How Tennessee compares with every other state: the boat insurance law table.
Quotes for a boat kept in Tennessee
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