Michigan General Boating Regulations
There are general Michigan regulations regarding the training and the age of those operating boats and PWCs in Michigan.
Who May Operate a Boat
Those less than 12 years of age:
May operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 horsepower (hp) legally without restrictions.
May operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp but no more than 35 hp legally only if they:
- Have been issued a boating safety certificate and have it on board the boat and…
- Are directly supervised on board by a person at least 16 years of age and have been issued a boating safety certificate.
May not operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 35 hp legally under any conditions.
Those born on or after July 1, 1996:
May not operate a motorboat that is powered by a motor or motors totaling more than 6 hp on the waters of this state unless the person has been issued a boating safety certificate.
Those born before July 1, 1996:
May operate a boat legally without restrictions.
Who May Operate a Personal Watercaft
Those less than 14 years of age may not legally operate a personal watercraft (PWC).
Those 14 and 15 years of age may operate a PWC legally only if they have obtained a boating safety certificate and… only if accompanied on board by his or her parent or legal guardian or by a person at least 21 years of age who has been designated by the parent or legal guardian or… He or she is operating or riding the PWC at a distance of not more than 100 feet from his or her parent or legal guardian or from a person at least 21 years of age who has been designated by the parent or legal guardian.
Those at least 16 years of age and born after December 31, 1978, may operate a PWC legally only if they have obtained a boating safety certificate.
Those born on or before December 31, 1978:
May operate a PWC legally without restrictions.
For more information, see the Michigan Boating Handbook here.
Special Regulations Governing High Speed Boating Hours and Counter-Clockwise Flow on Rennie Lake
Specific ordinances regulate when and how people can operating their boats on Rennie Lake.
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff has published a summary of lake-specific and general boating rules (see below).
There may be confusion caused by the publication of different high speed boating hours on various sites. Per Grand Traverse County Ordinance #2 and Michigan DNR R 281.700.3, high speed boating on Rennie Lake is limited to specific hours, 10AM to 6:30PM Eastern Standard Time and 11AM to 7:30PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. The Ordinance is written in Standard Time, while the sheriff's summary assumes high speed boating is largely conducted during the summer and so uses Daylight Savings Time.
Grand Traverse County Ordinance #2 is published here: https://www.gtcountymi.gov/251/County-Ordinances
MI DNR R 281.700.3 mandating use of Standard Time hours and Daylight Savings Time hours is published here. (look for "Special Local Watercraft Controls") https://ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us/AdminCode/DeptBureauAdminCode?Department=Natural%20Resources%20&Bureau=All
The Rennie Lake Association neither created nor enforces these ordinances but provides this information in fulfillment of our goal to “To be on guard for the health, welfare and safety of the resident community by promoting programs of water and boating safety and publishing and otherwise disseminating information of an educational nature encouraging the safe and prudent use of Rennie Lake.”
