Chapter 37. VESSEL SAFETY AND REGISTRATION

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within 300 feet of shore on all lakes in Dickinson County. No vessels, except authorized emergency vessels, shall be operated at speeds greater than 25 miles per hour at any time between one-half hour afte…

Areas may be specifically designated for swimming by the use of regulatory buoys. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

The following lights shall be required on all vessels: 37.5(1) Vessels at anchor. a. A vessel at anchor shall exhibit between the hours of sunset and sunrise: (1) In the forepart, a white light to show 360 degrees around the horizon or one ball. (2) At or near the stern and at a …

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

37.51(1) No inboard boats, jet skis, or jet-powered boats are permitted. All boats must maintain a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour on the entire lake between the hours of sunset and 10:30 p.m. and between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. No boating is permitted on the lake between 10:3…

37.52(1) Iowa River, Iowa Falls, Hardin County. a. All vessels operated in a designated zone between the River Street Bridge and the dock at Dougan’s Landing shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. b. The city of Iowa Falls shall designate and maintain the…

Areas may be specifically designated for swimming by the use of regulatory buoys. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour in the boat harbor and at the boat harbor entrance within the zoned area extending 300 feet from two points on shore and 100 feet in width, equidistant from either side of the harbor entrance. The Wright C…

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour when within 50 feet of another vessel that is not underway or is operating at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. 37.55(1) No vessel, except authorized emergency vessels, shall be permitted in areas…

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour only from September 8 through May 20 of each year. A motorboat with a power unit exceeding 10 horsepower shall not be permitted the remainder of the year. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effecti…

No motorboat shall be operated at a speed greater than 5 miles per hour within the zoned areas 300 feet from shore around Lake Manawa in Pottawattamie County. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

Areas may be designated restricted speed areas. All motorboats, except authorized emergency vessels, shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour year-round on two portions of Lake Odessa known as 1) the Sand Run Chute, lying south of the main lake to a point 10…

37.6(1) PFDs shall be U.S. Coast Guard-approved. Each PFD must be appropriately sized for the person for whom it is intended and be used in accordance with current U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment requirements as specified in 33 CFR 175.15 and 46 CFR 160 (June 1, 2024), any requ…

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may operate at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

37.61(1) Areas may be designated as restricted speed, direction, swimming and no boating areas. 37.61(2) Areas may be designated with operation restrictions pursuant to Iowa Code sections 462A.17A and 462A.17B. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

No motorboat shall be operated at a speed greater than 5 miles per hour within the zoned area designated by regulatory buoys on Little Wall Lake in Hamilton County. The zoned area will not exceed approximately 20 acres in the northeast portion of the lake identified by a line fro…

Vessels operating within a designated area beginning at the dam and extending north approximately to the mouth of “Bait Shop Bay” shall be operated at a speed no greater than 5 miles per hour. The Decatur County conservation board shall designate the speed zone with marker buoys …

Motorboats are restricted to not greater than 100 horsepower. A motorboat shall not be operated within 100 feet of shore at a speed greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

Areas may be specifically designated for swimming by the use of regulatory buoys. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

Water recreation activity restrictions shall be obeyed, including restrictions within posted areas that are marked with approved buoys, on the impoundment of the Maquoketa River in Delaware County, extending westerly and northerly from the line between Sections 29 and 30 in Delhi…

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25] MISSISSIPPI RIVER

A safety zone is hereby established in Iowa waters above and below all navigation lock and dam structures on the Mississippi River between the Iowa-Minnesota border and the Iowa-Missouri border. The established zone shall be 600 feet upstream and 150 feet downstream from the roll…

All vessels, except commercial barge traffic, shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within an area extending 300 feet from shore and beginning at a point 800 feet north of river mile marker 662.2 and proceeding to Lansing City Marina Dike. The Friends of …

No person shall operate any motorboat on waters of this state under the jurisdiction of the commission, in such a manner as to exceed the following noise levels: 37.7(1) Stationary sound level test. Motorboats manufactured prior to 1993 shall not exceed a noise level of 90dB(A) d…

All vessels operated in Harpers Slough between a point 200 feet above the state ramp and 200 feet out from the west shore and extending 550 feet downstream from a point known as Sandy Point Road Dead-End shall operate at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. The city of Harp…

All vessels, except commercial barge traffic, shall be operated at a speed no greater than 5 miles per hour within an area extending 150 feet from shore and beginning at a point 1,012 feet north of Mississippi River Day Marker 624.7R and extending south to a point 1,012 feet sout…

All vessels operated between the ice dike and Bussey Lake access shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. The city will designate the 5-mile-per-hour speed zone with buoys approved by the commission. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within the area of river mile markers 627 and 629.8, in a backwater known as Johnson Slough and designated by marker buoys approved by the commission. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

All vessels, except commercial barge traffic, shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within the area of river mile markers 634.5 and 634.9 and designated by buoys or other approved uniform waterway markers. The city of Marquette will designate and maintain…

All vessels, except commercial barge traffic, shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within the area of river mile markers 634 and 633.4 and designated by buoys or other approved uniform waterway markers. The city of McGregor will designate the 5-mile-per-…

The Joyce Slough Area, a portion of the Mississippi River within the city of Clinton, is hereby zoned to be a harbor area and vessels traveling therein shall not travel at speeds in excess of 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

A restricted speed zone of not greater than 5 miles per hour is hereby established in all or part of the main channel of Swan Slough (Mississippi River mile 510.2 to 511.3), as designated by buoys. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25] DES MOINES COUNTY…

All vessels shall be operated at a speed no greater than 5 miles per hour within the area designated by marker buoys or other approved uniform waterway markers beginning at the north city boat ramp and public dock and extending downstream to the south city boat ramp and public do…

37.79(1) All vessels shall be limited to no more than 5 miles per hour in Lake Peosta Cut south and east of the Hawthorn Street municipal boat launching ramp. 37.79(2) A restricted speed zone of no more than 5 miles per hour is established in the vicinity of Chaplain Schmitt Memo…

The current registration emblem shall be placed within six inches of the stern of the registration number on each side of the bow of the vessel. On sailboats, when the registration number is placed on the mast, the registration emblem shall be placed six inches below the registra…

The operation of vessels in Massey Slough of the Mississippi River at Massey Station, Dubuque County, extending from a northerly to southerly direction from the upper end to the lower end of the slough, encompassing the water in Section 14, Township 88N, Range 3E of the 5th P.M.,…

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within the area beginning at the mouth of Catfish Creek and extending upstream to the confluence of Catfish Creek and Granger Creek and designated by uniform marker buoys approved by the commission. [ARC 9…

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within the area of river mile markers 587.6 to 589.3, in a backwater known as Mud Lake and designated by marker buoys approved by the commission. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25] JACKSON COUNTY…

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour within the area designated by buoys or other approved uniform waterway markers beginning at the mouth of Mill Creek and extending upstream 900 feet, and extending 200 feet perpendicular from shore. The are…

All motorboats except authorized emergency vessels shall be operated at a speed no greater than 5 miles per hour year around on boat channels adjacent to the interior channel 4 levee at the Green Island State Wildlife area. Both channels begin at the Green Island county road park…

No motorboat shall operate at a speed to exceed 5 miles per hour within the four zoned areas designated by buoys or other approved uniform waterway markers. The city of Sabula shall designate the speed zones with uniform waterway markers (buoys) approved by the commission. 37.85(…

No motorboat shall operate at a speed to exceed 5 miles per hour within the area designated by buoys or other approved uniform waterway markers, beginning at the entrance of Spruce Creek harbor and extending southeast 550 feet and extending east 150 feet from shore. The Jackson C…

Unrestricted-horsepower vessels may be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]

All vessels shall be operated at a speed not greater than 5 miles per hour. Areas may be specifically designated for swimming by the use of regulatory buoys. A 40-acre body of water located in the southeast corner, and separate from the main lake, shall be designated for nonmotor…

Areas may be specifically designated for swimming and wading, restricted speed, “no anchoring,” and “no boating” areas. [ARC 9219C, IAB 5/14/25, effective 6/18/25]