Main Harbor Development

Under Mississippi’s operating age rule, a person must be at least 12 to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft without the special accompaniment requirement. An operator under 12 must be accompanied onboard by someone who is at least 21. The same rule applies to personal watercraft.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks requires people born after June 30, 1980, to complete an approved boating education course, and required operators must carry their certificate onboard. A rental operator sets its own booking minimum, so confirm the rental age when reserving.

Source: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (dmr.ms.gov)

Mississippi does not issue a traditional boating license, but operators born after June 30, 1980, must complete an approved boater education course and carry proof when operating a boat or personal watercraft on public waterways. Operators under 12 must have the certificate and be accompanied onboard by a parent, guardian, or other qualified person at least 21 years old.

State law exempts someone operating a motorboat rented from a motorboat rental business from the requirement to possess the certificate. MDWFP also allows someone replacing a lost card to download a temporary card. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks administers the program.

Source: Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (mdwfp.com)

Mississippi’s best boating areas include the Mississippi Sound and coastal bays in the south, Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson, the Pascagoula River in the southeast, and the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway in the northeast. The coast combines open saltwater with calmer bay and bayou routes. Ross Barnett offers broad reservoir water for sailing, paddling and motorboats, while the Pascagoula provides a free flowing river setting. The Tennessee Tombigbee connects reservoirs, canal pools and lakes, creating a varied chain of inland boating waters.

Source: Visit Mississippi (msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov)

Mississippi’s popular boating destinations include Biloxi and Gulfport for passenger boat trips to Ship Island; Ross Barnett Reservoir for boating, paddling and plentiful launch access; Pickwick Lake near Iuka for smallmouth bass fishing and scenic Yellow Creek Cove; Grenada Lake for boating, swimming and productive crappie and bass waters; and Sardis Lake for boating, fishing, camping and beach time. These choices cover the Gulf Coast, central Mississippi and the large reservoirs of northern Mississippi, giving day boaters options ranging from offshore sightseeing to freshwater fishing.

Source: Visit Mississippi (visitmississippi.org)