Jet Ski Insurance in New Hampshire

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

A jet ski is a small boat with a lot of power, and New Hampshire law treats it that way. The state has its own rules for ski craft and personal watercraft, including minimum ages, night limits, slow zones near swimmers and shore, and a set of Seacoast marsh areas where riders must stay at headway speed. Insurance follows the same logic: your homeowners policy was not built for a fast, heavy machine that carries riders across open water, so the craft and the liability that comes with it need their own coverage.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent, family-owned agency founded in 2005, based at 601 Islington St, Unit 206 in Portsmouth. We place personal watercraft with 40+ carriers and coordinate the policy with your home, auto and umbrella so nothing overlaps or falls through. Questions? Call (603) 431-4020.

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How New Hampshire law defines a jet ski

Two definitions matter. Under RSA 270:73, a “ski craft” is a motorized watercraft less than 13 feet long as manufactured, capable of more than 20 miles per hour and built to carry no more than the operator and one passenger; the statute names jet skis specifically (RSA 270:73). Under RSA 270:74-c, a “personal water craft” is a motor boat 16 feet or less, driven by a jet pump rather than a propeller, where the riders sit, stand, kneel or straddle on top of the craft instead of inside it (RSA 270:74-c). Three-seat models longer than 13 feet fall outside the ski craft rules but still count as personal watercraft.

Like other motorized boats, a jet ski must be registered with the state before it goes in the water (NH DMV boat registrations).

Operating rules every rider should know

RSA 270:74 sets the core ski craft rules (RSA 270:74):

• Age. No one under 16 may operate a ski craft on a lake, pond or river.
• Daylight only. No ski craft operation on lakes, ponds or rivers between sunset and sunrise.
• Life jackets. The operator must wear a Coast Guard approved type 1, 2 or 3 personal flotation device.
• Slow near others. Headway speed within 150 feet of another ski craft, a boat, a raft, a float or a swimmer.
• Coves and shoreline. No riding in a designated cove, meaning a bay or inlet no wider than 1,000 feet at its widest point, or within 300 feet of shore, except to travel in a direct line at headway speed between shore and open water.

Residents can also ask the state to limit or ban ski craft on a particular body of water. RSA 270:74-a lets 10 or more residents or property owners petition for a hearing, and the result can be a restriction or a prohibition (RSA 270:74-a). Check the local rules before you launch somewhere new.

Two more rules carry real consequences. Riding carelessly, including weaving through congested traffic or swerving at the last moment to avoid a collision, is a misdemeanor under RSA 270:74-b, and altering a ski craft’s muffler or engine to exceed state noise limits is a violation (RSA 270:74-b). Under the general boating law, every vessel must hold headway speed within 150 feet of rafts, swimmers, permitted swimming areas, shore, docks, mooring fields and other vessels (RSA 270-D:2).

The safe boater certificate

Anyone operating a motorized vessel with more than 25 horsepower on New Hampshire public waters needs a certificate of boating safety education (RSA 270-D:10). The state issues the certificate to people 16 or older who pass an approved course or equivalency exam; riders 18 and up may take an approved online exam (RSA 270-D:13). Insurers ask who will operate the craft and whether they are certified, so keep copies handy.

Seacoast rules: Hampton, Seabrook, Rye and New Castle

The Seacoast has its own personal watercraft limits. Added in 2019 and amended in 2022, RSA 270:74-c II says a personal watercraft may not go faster than headway speed (RSA 270:74-c):

• within 300 feet of any marsh land or flat in the Hampton/Seabrook estuary;
• within 300 feet of the Rye marsh areas, including Witch Creek, Seavey Creek, Berry’s Brook, Parson’s Creek, Awcomin Marsh and Rye Harbor Marsh;
• inside the New Castle Goat Island Back Channel mooring field, as defined in Pease Development Authority rules;
• in the area marked from Shapleigh Island and Goat Island to Red Nun #4 and the Wentworth Bridge, including the waters around Pest, Leaches and Clampit Islands, at any tide;
• or from the landing in Hampton Falls to Hampton.

In those areas riders must also stay in marked channels. Out in the Piscataqua River, the general 150-foot headway rule does not apply inside the federal deepwater shipping channel between buoy R2 off Wood Island and R12 opposite the Sprague terminal, which means larger, faster commercial traffic shares that water (RSA 270-D:2). Personal watercraft are small and low; give the channel room.

Salt water adds its own wear. Corrosion, fouling and engine damage from skipped flushing are maintenance issues that watercraft policies typically exclude, so rinse the craft and trailer after every ocean ride. Our boat safety tips cover the basics, and the Seacoast NH insurance page lists what we do for coastal families.

Why the homeowners policy falls short

Standard homeowners forms were written for houses, not powerboats. Most limit what they will pay for watercraft, trailers and equipment to a small sum, restrict theft coverage when the craft is away from the home, and exclude or narrowly limit liability for owned watercraft powered by jet pumps or larger engines. A collision with another rider, an injured passenger or a swimmer struck near a beach is exactly the kind of claim those exclusions are designed to leave out.

We read the watercraft section of your homeowners form with you, then place the jet ski on a policy built for it. If you also keep an inflatable or a dinghy, our inflatable boat, RIB and dinghy insurance page covers the same homeowners gap for small boats.

What a jet ski policy can include

• Liability. Bodily injury and property damage you cause to others on the water, including other riders, swimmers, docks and boats.
• Physical damage. Collision, sinking, fire, theft, vandalism and storm damage to the craft, on an agreed value or actual cash value basis depending on the carrier and the age of the craft.
• Medical payments. Injuries to you and your passenger regardless of fault, up to the limit you choose.
• Uninsured boater coverage. Injuries caused by another operator who has no insurance.
• Trailer. The trailer can be damaged or stolen on its own; make sure it is listed.
• Towing and on-water assistance. A breakdown far from the ramp is common, and a tow back can be costly without it.
• Fuel spill and wreck removal. Cleanup and salvage costs after a sinking or a spill.
• Equipment. Covers, life jackets and other gear that stay with the craft.

Our how boat insurance works guide goes deeper on agreed value and the coverage parts.

Riders, guests and rentals

List everyone who rides regularly, especially teenagers. Insurers look at each operator’s age, certificate and boating history. Lending the craft to a friend for an afternoon is usually allowed under a personal policy, but the friend still has to meet the state’s age and certificate rules, and a claim will be judged on whether they did. Putting the jet ski on a rental app, offering paid rides or using it for a business is generally outside personal watercraft coverage, so talk to us first.

Winter lay-up and storage

New Hampshire riding seasons are short, and most jet skis spend more months on a trailer than on the water. Keep physical damage coverage in place while the craft is stored; theft from driveways and storage lots, fire and collapsed roofs under snow happen in the off-season too. Winterize the engine, store it covered and off the ground, and lock the trailer coupler. Some policies offer a lay-up period that pauses on-water coverage while keeping storage coverage active.

Carriers we use for personal watercraft

Our boat and watercraft carriers include Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Foremost Specialty, American Modern and Hanover. Each looks at the craft, its horsepower and value, where it is kept and who operates it a little differently, so we compare more than one. The boat and watercraft insurance and powersports insurance pages cover the rest of what we write.

Liability from a jet ski accident can reach well beyond the limits on the watercraft policy. A personal umbrella sits on top of the watercraft, auto and home policies, provided each meets the umbrella carrier’s required underlying limits. If the family keeps a summer place on the coast or a lake, see our seasonal home insurance page as well.

A jet ski insurance checklist

• Register each craft with the state and keep the registration aboard.
• Get safe boater certificates for every regular operator 16 or older.
• Read the watercraft section of your homeowners policy, then place the jet ski on its own policy.
• Choose liability limits that match the family’s assets, and add an umbrella.
• List the trailer, the equipment and every regular rider.
• Know the headway-speed zones where you ride, including the Seacoast marsh areas.
• Plan winter storage and keep coverage active while the craft is laid up.

Related pages

See Rye, Hampton, New Castle, Seabrook, Hampton Falls and Portsmouth, plus the New Hampshire hub and flood insurance.

Get a jet ski quote

Tell us about the craft, the trailer and the riders, and we will shop it across 40+ carriers. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. We don’t charge any fees. Fill in the form below, use our quotes page or call (603) 431-4020. Read what clients say on our client feedback page: we have 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials.

Frequently asked questions

Does New Hampshire require insurance on a jet ski?

State law does not make watercraft insurance mandatory for a privately owned jet ski. Lenders usually require physical damage coverage while there is a loan, and many marinas, yacht clubs and storage facilities ask for proof of liability coverage. Even without a requirement, liability is the part we would never skip, since an injury to a swimmer or another rider can be serious.

Will my homeowners policy cover my jet ski?

Usually not in any meaningful way. Homeowners forms typically cap coverage for boats and their equipment at a small amount, limit theft away from the home, and exclude or tightly restrict liability for jet-powered watercraft you own. Read your own policy, or send it to us and we will tell you what it says, but plan on a separate watercraft policy.

How old do you have to be to ride a jet ski in New Hampshire?

On lakes, ponds and rivers, state law requires a ski craft operator to be at least 16, and anyone running a vessel with more than 25 horsepower needs a safe boater education certificate, which the state issues at 16 or older. Since most jet skis exceed 25 horsepower, plan on the certificate for every regular rider and list them with the insurer.

Are there special rules for riding on the Seacoast?

Yes. RSA 270:74-c holds personal watercraft to headway speed within 300 feet of marsh and flats in the Hampton/Seabrook estuary and the named Rye marshes, inside the New Castle Goat Island Back Channel mooring field and around Pest, Leaches and Clampit Islands, and between the Hampton Falls landing and Hampton. Riders there must stay in marked channels.

Can I let friends ride my jet ski?

Most watercraft policies extend to people you allow to operate the craft, but the details vary. Ask before lending it, make sure the rider is old enough and holds a certificate, and tell us about anyone who rides it regularly. Renting it out or using it for paid tours is a different matter and usually needs commercial coverage.

Is my jet ski covered while it is stored for the winter?

If you keep comprehensive-type physical damage coverage in place, theft and damage from fire, a collapsed storage building or a falling tree are typically covered during the off-season. Some carriers let you drop the on-water coverage during a lay-up period. Damage from skipping winterization, corrosion or wear is generally not covered at any time of year.

What do you need from me to quote a jet ski?

The year, make, model, length, engine and hull ID for each craft, the trailer details, where it is kept and launched, who will ride it and whether they hold safe boater certificates, any prior boating claims, and your current home and auto policies. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. You can call (603) 431-4020 or send it all through the form below.

Sources

• NH RSA 270:73, ski craft definitions
• NH RSA 270:74, operation of ski craft
• NH RSA 270:74-a, restriction or prohibition by petition
• NH RSA 270:74-b, reckless operation; muffler and engine modification
• NH RSA 270:74-c, personal water craft (Seacoast headway-speed areas)
• NH RSA 270-D:2, general rules for vessels
• NH RSA 270-D:10, safe boater certificate required
• NH RSA 270-D:13, issuance of safe boater certificate
• NH Division of Motor Vehicles: boat registrations