Boat Insurance for Vermont
Vermont boat insurance for boaters who know the water.
From Lake Champlain to Lake Memphremagog and Lake Willoughby, Roamly works with carriers who understand how Vermonters actually boat.
Vermont at a Glance
Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
Insurance requirement | Not required by state law for private recreational boats. Lenders and marinas often require coverage. |
Boater education | Anyone born after January 1, 1974 needs a certificate of boating education to operate a motorboat, with no horsepower cutoff. Operators under 12 can't run a motorboat over 6 hp, and PWC operators must be 16 or older. |
Boating under the influence | Boating under the influence (0.08 BAC) brings a fine of $200 to $750 for a first offense, up to a year in jail, and a one-year suspension of your boating privileges. Operators under 21 face a six-month suspension at 0.02 BAC. |
Registration | Motorboats register with the Department of Motor Vehicles annually or every two years, and motorboats 16 feet and longer that are 15 years old or newer generally need a title. As of October 2026, a boat from 16 to under 26 feet is $49 a year or $93 for two years. |
Requirements and regulations may change. Verify with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation and the Vermont State Police Marine Unit for the most current information.
What you need to know about Boat Insurance in Vermont
Vermont doesn't require boat insurance, but it requires boater education for anyone born after January 1, 1974, revised its wake boat rules in June 2026, and requires accident reports within 36 hours. Here's what actually shapes your policy.
Vermont's Boat Insurance Rules
No Vermont law requires insurance on a private recreational boat or personal watercraft. You can still be held responsible for damage or injuries you cause on the water, and marinas and lenders set their own coverage rules. We'll help you figure out what makes sense for how you boat.
Agreed Value for Your Boat
Your ski boat with a new engine, upgraded electronics, and a wakeboard tower isn't a stock boat. Roamly works with carriers who may value the work you've put in, not some database guess.
Electronics and Gear Coverage
Chartplotters, fish finders, rods, and wakeboards add up fast. Roamly works with carriers who may offer coverage options for marine electronics and the personal gear you bring aboard.
Coverage Lenders and Marinas Ask For
If you finance your boat, your lender will likely require coverage for the boat itself, and many marinas ask for proof of liability coverage before you can rent a slip or store your boat for the winter. Roamly works with carriers who may help you meet those requirements, and we'll help you get the paperwork in order.
Protection Beyond Basics
Type | Details |
|---|---|
Mechanical Breakdown Coverage | Engines fail at the worst times — like out on Lake Champlain when the wind kicks up. Through Roamly's carrier partners, coverage may be available to help with sudden mechanical breakdowns beyond warranty. |
Guest Medical Coverage | Summer weekends on Vermont's lakes mean friends and family aboard and plenty of time in and out of the water. Roamly works with carriers who may offer medical payments options for guests hurt on your boat. |
Docking Mishaps | Crowded town marinas and busy summer weekends lead to bumps and scrapes. Through Roamly's carrier partners, coverage may be available for damage from docking mishaps. |
Protect the Gear You Bring Aboard
A day on Lake Champlain or a weekend on Lake Memphremagog means a lot of gear on board — wakeboards, tubes, rods and reels, coolers, and electronics at the helm. Many basic policies limit coverage for personal property, so check yours before your next trip. Roamly works with carriers who may offer coverage options for marine electronics and personal effects like fishing and water sports equipment, which may help you replace what's lost or damaged.
What Vermont Actually Requires
Vermont doesn't require insurance on a private recreational boat. What the state does require: a certificate of boating education for anyone born after January 1, 1974 who operates a motorboat; registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles; a life jacket on every child under 12 on an open deck while underway; no PWC operation between sunset and sunrise; and an inspection of your boat and trailer for aquatic plants before launching and when leaving, with drain plugs open during transport. Accidents involving a death, an injury, or more than $2,000 in damage must be reported to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles within 36 hours. Going without coverage may be legal, but one collision can mean damage to another boat, a dock, or someone you hurt — and liability alone doesn't pay to fix or replace your own boat. We'll help you figure out what makes sense for your situation.
Real Value for Upgraded Boats
You set up your boat the way you wanted it: a new engine, upgraded electronics, a wakeboard tower, and a better trailer. Book value doesn't account for the upgrades you've added. Roamly works with carriers who offer Agreed Value coverage options — we'll help document your boat so it may be insured for an agreed amount that reflects your upgrades, which may help if you ever need to file a claim.
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
Roamly is a licensed insurance agency. Insurance policies referenced are offered through Roamly and underwritten by third-party carriers including Progressive, National General, Foremost, Liberty Mutual, American Modern, Ahoy Insurance, and Spinnaker Insurance Company, among others. Not all products or coverages are available in every state. Coverage terms, conditions, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and availability vary by state, carrier, and policy. This page is provided for general information and is not a contract of insurance. See the actual policy for a full description of coverages, terms, and conditions. Vermont law references current as of October 2026 — confirm current requirements with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, the Vermont State Police Marine Unit, and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles.
Why Roamly?
True replacement value
Your boat isn't just worth the Blue Book numbers. We'll find you a policy that insures it for what it's actually worth – including your upgraded electronics.
Real-world coverage
From shallow water prop strikes to dock collisions, we cover the stuff that actually happens to recreational boaters.
Insurance by boaters, for boaters
Our marine specialists actually spend their weekends on the water. They speak your language because they boat too.
No. Vermont law doesn't require insurance on a private recreational boat or personal watercraft. If you finance your boat or keep it at a marina, your lender or marina will likely require coverage. Even without a mandate, you can be held responsible for damage or injuries you cause on the water. Requirements may change — verify with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation.
If you were born after January 1, 1974, yes — you need a certificate of boating education to operate any motorboat on Vermont's public waters, with no horsepower cutoff. The course runs at least eight hours, the certificate is good for life, and certificates from other states that meet NASBLA standards are accepted. Operators under 12 can't run a motorboat over 6 horsepower, and PWC operators must be at least 16.
It depends on your boat's type, size, value, and horsepower, where you keep and use it, your boating experience, and the coverage you pick. Whether you keep it at a lake marina or on a trailer, how you store it over the winter, and adding physical damage coverage or coverage for electronics and gear will change the price. Get a personalized quote to find out your rate.
Roamly is a brokerage — we work with carriers who may offer coverage options for marine electronics like chartplotters and fish finders, plus personal effects like fishing gear and water sports equipment. Limits and eligibility depend on the carrier, so it's worth asking before you buy. Coverage terms, conditions, and availability vary by state and policy.
Roamly works with carriers who offer Agreed Value coverage options. We may help document your boat and its upgrades up front so it can be insured for an agreed amount, not a depreciated book value. If it's totaled, the agreed value — less any deductible — is what the policy is built around. Coverage terms, conditions, and availability vary by state and policy.
Vermont doesn't require either one. Liability pays for damage you cause to other people and their property — another boat, a dock, or someone hurt in a collision. "Full coverage" usually means adding physical damage coverage, which helps pay to repair or replace your own boat after a collision, theft, vandalism, or storm damage. If you're financing, your lender will likely require it.
Operating a boat at 0.08 BAC or higher, or while impaired by alcohol or drugs, is boating under the influence. A first offense brings a fine of $200 to $750, up to one year in jail, and a suspension of your privilege to operate a boat for at least one year, and until you meet the state's reinstatement conditions, including the Alcohol and Driving Education Program. Operators under 21 commit a civil violation at 0.02 BAC, with a six-month boating suspension for a first offense. If a violation is on your record, Roamly works with carriers that may still be able to help you find coverage. Coverage terms, conditions, and availability vary by state and policy.
It can. Vermont's credit law covers auto, homeowners, and a few other personal policies, and it expressly leaves out other types of insurance, so boat policies fall outside it. It's worth asking each carrier how it rates. Your boating experience, your boat, and where you keep it are also major rating factors, and how much each one counts varies by carrier.
Under rules that took effect June 11, 2026, wakesports are allowed in designated zones on Vermont's inland lakes and on Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, the Connecticut River reservoirs, and Wallace Pond, with a 500-foot offset from swimmers and other boaters. A wake boat can run on any lake that allows motorboats if its ballast tanks are empty, and any ballasted boat moving between water bodies needs a hot water decontamination.
Still have questions?
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Vermont Boat Insurance Quotes in Minutes
Vermont boat insurance for boaters who know the water.
* Roamly is an insurance agency, not a carrier. Coverage, limits, and availability vary by carrier and by state, and are subject to underwriting approval.
Roamly Insurance Group, LLC ("Roamly") is a licensed general agent for affiliated and non-affiliated insurance companies. Roamly is licensed as an agency in all states in which products are offered. Roamly license numbers. Availability and qualification for coverage, terms, rates, and discounts may vary by jurisdiction. We do not in any way imply that the materials on the site or products are available in jurisdictions in which we are not licensed to do business or that we are soliciting business in any such jurisdiction. Coverage under your insurance policy is subject to the terms and conditions of that policy and is ultimately the decision of the buyer.
Policies provided by Roamly are underwritten by Spinnaker Insurance Company, Progressive Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Foremost Insurance Company, National General Insurance, and others.
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