Boating Education
Accident Reporting
If you are involved in a boating accident, you are required to report it to New York State Parks if the accident resulted in:
- An injury that required medical care beyond basic first aid
- Death or disappearance of a person
- Damage to any one party exceeding $1,000
Registering a Boat
Registration of vessels is handled by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Only boats with motors need to be registered. If you have questions about registering a boat, please contact the DMV or visit their
website: https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/register-boat
Permits
- Regatta Permit Application (pdf)
- Racing Shells Regatta Notification (pdf)
- Floating Object Permit Application (pdf)
Navigational Aids
Aids to Navigation provide boaters with information in the same way that drivers obtain information from street signs and traffic markers. Aids to navigation are generally installed by a government agency. To request placement of a navigational aid, please contact the agency responsible for placing aids in that waterway.
| Waterways | Agency Responsible for Placing Navigational Aids |
|---|---|
| All tidal and ocean waterways, including the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain | US Coast Guard |
| Waterways within the Adirondack and Catskill Park Regions | Dept. of Environmental Conservation |
| Barge Canal System | NYS Canal Corporation |
| All other waterways in New York State | Office of NYS Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation (OPRHP) |
