No, you do not have to display any light during daytime hours. I was simply talking about what you need to be legal at night. If you're not going to be on the water before sunrise or after sundown, no worries.

I'm not sure but dont you have to have the red/green bow light and the white stern light even if you dont plan to be out at night? What if you dont have them & break down on the way back to the ramp? Again, I'm not sure, but I think you have to have them no matter what. I'm not saying lights turned on, but working.

I read and re-read the regulation, and you are right: navigation lights are required. Period. The part about sundown to sunup applies to all boats, power or not. Power boats are required to have navigation lights, which includes the bright white light (the one that is on a pole in the back). I did not see any regulation about a paddle. can someone poit it out for me. I don't carry one - did for years but never used it except to push out of shallows.

Oh, and your registration card comes from TPWD when you register your boat. You have to renew this registration (taxes) every year, just like on a car. The title is different altogther and verifies ownership.

The above is in error


You renew ever 2 years on the Boat not every year. The trailer is every year

Tom H

No law that i know of that says you have to have a paddle. Me being me the first time i leave mine at home i'll need it. kinda hard to paddle with the palm of your hand

I have been pulled over and checked for .....

*undersized fish
*illegal fish
*illegal 40 foot seins
*fishing license
*boat registration
*life jackets
*illegal bait
*illegal shocking devices
*fish baskets
*fish snares
*snagging rigs
*and other things I forget

I "pilot" a 12 foot Montgomery Ward Jon Boat with a 5 hp mercury tiller. It has two caulked patches about midbeam but is dry as a popcorn toot!

I have never had a gamewarden give me a ticket, even though all these years I have never had "navigation lights".

I do have a battery operated lantern, an Acme Thunderer whistle, registration card, a paddle (sometimes) and anchor (sometimes) and two life preservers (quality)

Maybe I'm just lucky!

The rule on a fire extingushier is if the boat has a deck or a compartment where gasoline or combustibles may be stored.

The throwable PFD is required on vessels 16' + in length.

I have never had a GW check my lights during daylight hours.

The registration card is called "Certificate of Number". It comes from TPWD when you register the vessel. It must be on board.

See the link below for answers to all boating law questions: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/boat/laws/

I have never been checked for light either but when it was brought up, I got to thinking about it & looking in the regulations & all I could find was that the lights are required, it dont say nothing about night time only. So I'm not sure.

I have a 14 ft jon boat, 5hp motor.
I have only used it this year, and have only had 1 game warden visit.
I was anchored, fishing while stationary, but I was wearing my life jacket.
He was not the friendly type, but he was not a jerk either.
He just asked for my fishing license, which I held up.
At that time I did not have any navigation lights, and it was about 10am.
He did not mention anything about not having lights.
I don't think I was breaking any laws of any kind, he could have searched till doomsday if he wanted to, and not found anything.
But I believe to this day, that b/c I was wearing my life jacket, it made our encounter as brief as it was.

I don't think there is any doubt that navigation lights, the red/green on the front and the white on a pole on the stern, are required on all power boats. Day, night, dawn, dusk, all the the time, and all size power boats. Just like headlights on a car to make it street legal. Not saying you will be ticketed for not having them, but you should, to be legal. I would think GWs are not really concerned during daylight hours. But you never know when you may be checked by one who is having a bad day.

I will walk you through a water safety check.... here goes....

Certificate of Number ( original or a photocopy )
Is the registration current?
Are the TX #'s properly displayed?

Life Jacket for each person on board. Kids 12 or younger got theirs on?

Type IV throwable for boats over 16 feet

Fire extinguisher ( boats with compartmentalized gasoline )

Horn or whistle ( air horn, coaches whistle, etc. )

Navigation Lights must be in working order at night.... I don't know a Game Warden who will check you lights during the day.

No requirement for paddle.

Are you fishing? do you have a fishing license?
Fish on board? how many and are they a regulated size?
Alcohol consumption? are you 21? are you intoxicated?

I think that is about it, just off the top of my head.
Hopefully this info is helpful.

Very thorough walk-through. Just one question: Is the GW likely to make an issue if you do not have navigation lights, even in daylight?

Thanks for the help!Nice walk through!

I have never met a Game Warden that will check your nav lights during the day. One might ask, just prior to sunset, do your nav lights work? maybe test to see if they work and advise a trip back to the boat ramp if they dont work. Would a trooper look a your car headlights during the day and cite you if they did not work? not likely... same deal on a boat in my opinion.

Now if your out and it is dark and you did not test your nav lights and the GW stops you for running without them and your answer is "I didn't know that they were not working"... probably not a favorable situation.

Check the functionability of your nav light before you need them... maybe put an extra bulb or 2 in the boat and an extra fuse or 2, just in case...... could save you some heartburn when dealing with your favorite Game Warden......

If one wrote you up during the day for no navigational lights, I believe I would set that for a trial.... that would be pretty chicken feathered in my opinion....