State rankings

Life Jacket Laws by State

Louisiana has the highest Age That Must Wear PFD (16), followed by Idaho (14) and California (12). Michigan has the lowest (6).

LawTravel50 states · 6 metricsUpdated Apr 10, 2023Original page
8 sources
Age That Must Wear PFDBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
50 of 51 states
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Age That Must Wear PFD

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
12
Middle half 12 – 12
Average
11.44
50 states
Highest
16
Louisiana
Lowest
6
Michigan

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Age That Must Wear PFD
#
1Louisiana16Less than 26 feetUSCG-approved Type I, II, or III
2Idaho1419 feet or lessUSCG-approved
3California12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, III or V
3Texas12Less than 26 feetUSCG-approved
3New York1265 feet and underType I, II, III, or V
3Pennsylvania1220 feet or less (inc. kayaks and canoes)USCG-approved
3Illinois12Less than 26 feetUSCG-approved
3Georgia12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3North Carolina12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, or III
3New Jersey12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, III or V
3Virginia12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Washington12Less than 19 feetUSCG-approved
3Arizona12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, or III
3Tennessee12All lengthsType I, II, III or V
3Massachusetts12All lengthsType I, II, III, or V
3Indiana12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Maryland12Under 21 feet in lengthUSCG-approved
3Colorado12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, or III
3Wisconsin12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3South Carolina12Class A (boat or PWC under 16 feet)Type I, II, III or V
3Kentucky12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Oregon12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Oklahoma12Less than 26 feetUSCG-approved
3Connecticut12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Utah12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Nevada12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Iowa12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Arkansas12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Kansas12All lengthsType I, II, or III
3Mississippi12Less than 26 feetType I, II, or III
3New Mexico12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Nebraska12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, or III
3West Virginia12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Hawaii12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3New Hampshire12All lengthsUSCG-approved
3Montana12Less than 26 feetUSCG-approved
3Rhode Island12Less than 65 feetUSCG-approved
3Delaware12All lengthsType I, II, III, or V
3Alaska12All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, III, or V
3Vermont12All lengthsType I, II or III PFD
3Wyoming12All lengthsUSCG-approved
42Ohio10Less than 18 feetUSCG-approved
42Minnesota10All lengthsUSCG-approved
42Maine10All lengthsType I, II, or III
42North Dakota10Less than 27 feetType I, II, or III PFD
46Alabama8All lengthsUSCG-approved Type I, II, or III
47Missouri7All lengthsType I, II, III or V PFD
47South Dakota7All lengthsUSCG-approved
49Florida6Less than 26 feetType I, II, or III
49Michigan6All lengthsType I or II

What correlates with Age That Must Wear PFD?

Pearson r against 2,092 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Age That Must Wear PFD tend to score higher on these

  1. Maximum WeeksVeterans Unemployment Benefits by State
    r = +0.45 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Booster Seat Min. AgeCar Seat Laws by State
    r = +0.39 · moderate · n = 47
    Plot
  3. LimitLiposuction Limits by State
    r = +0.38 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  4. UBE Passing ScoreUBE Scores by State
    r = +0.38 · moderate · n = 39
    Plot
  5. 3-Year Re-Incarceration (VADOC)Recidivism Rates by State
    r = +0.36 · moderate · n = 34
    Plot
  6. Affordability ScoreArthritis Friendly States
    r = +0.34 · moderate · n = 49
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Age That Must Wear PFD tend to score lower on these

  1. Cucumber Acres HarvestedCucumber Production by State
    r = −0.57 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Online Cost Of Sample TinChewing Tobacco Prices by State
    r = −0.52 · strong · n = 30
    Plot
  3. Hep A Related DeathsHepatitis by State
    r = −0.44 · moderate · n = 32
    Plot
  4. Squash Acres HarvestedSquash Production by State
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Sunflower ProductionSunflower Production by State
    r = −0.42 · moderate · n = 39
    Plot
  6. Lightning Deaths 2015-2025Lightning Deaths by State
    r = −0.41 · moderate · n = 36
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Age That Must Wear PFD?
Louisiana has the highest Age That Must Wear PFD, at 16, followed by Idaho (14) and California (12).
Which state has the lowest Age That Must Wear PFD?
Michigan has the lowest Age That Must Wear PFD, at 6.
What is the median Age That Must Wear PFD across US states?
The median is 12 across the 50 US states with data.
Where does this life jacket laws by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: BoatUS Foundation; Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Boat-ed; State of California.