How much is boat insurance in North Dakota?

It depends on the boat or PWC’s value and type, storage, where you ride, who operates it, and the coverage you choose. The state does not publish prices. This page’s insurance line is a planning estimate from max(2% of price, $250) × 0.85; replace it with a written quote.

Is boat or PWC insurance required in North Dakota?

Not by state law for boats used on public waters. The North Dakota Insurance Department says the state does not require liability or property insurance for boats when used on public waters, and that a jet ski or personal watercraft is the same as any other boat for insurance. A lender, marina, or storage facility may still require proof of insurance. Ask before you sign. Source: North Dakota Insurance Department, Boats and Recreational (checked Oct 9, 2026).

Is a PWC cheaper to insure than a pontoon in North Dakota?

Not necessarily. In this model a PWC uses 2% of price (floor $250) while a pontoon uses 1.2% (same floor), both times North Dakota’s 0.85 multiplier, so a PWC carries a higher insurance percent of its price. Because PWCs usually cost less to buy, the total can still come out lower. A real insurer may price them very differently; get quotes on both.

Why is PWC insurance a higher percent in this model?

The planning rule is max(2% of price, $250) times the state insurance multiplier, unless you override it. Replace it with a quote.

Do I still winterize a PWC in a warm state?

This model adds winterization only in states marked cold. Follow the manufacturer’s storage steps either way; the dollar line here is a climate switch, not a shop manual.

What costs are included in the all-in monthly number?

Loan principal and interest (unless the boat is paid for), insurance, slip or trailer storage, winterization in cold states, registration, estimated fuel, and maintenance. Most of this bill shows up whether you launch or not.

What if the boat is paid for?

Choose Paid for — no loan. Principal and interest drop to zero. Insurance, storage, fuel, and maintenance still count. Buy vs rent treats the purchase price as cash paid up front.

Is the loan rate a real quote?

No. The default APR is an illustration rate, not a lender quote. Enter the rate on an offer you actually have.

How is fuel burn estimated?

Gasoline uses 0.50 lb/hp-hr specific fuel consumption and 6.2 lb/gal fuel weight. Diesel uses 0.40 and 6.9. Cruise gallons per hour is wide-open-throttle burn times a load factor (default 65%). This is an SFC estimate, not a sea trial.

What does year-5 underwater mean?

If the remaining loan balance after five years is higher than the depreciated boat value (15% the first year, then 10% per year), the loan is underwater in this model.

Estimate personal watercraft ownership cost in North Dakota

North Dakota does not publish boat or PWC insurance prices. The North Dakota Insurance Department says the state does not require liability or property insurance for boats when used on public waters, and that a jet ski or personal watercraft is treated the same as any other boat for insurance. The NAIC notes that personal watercraft often require a separate policy. A premium still depends on the machine’s value, how it is stored and trailered, who rides it, and the coverage you choose. This model’s insurance floor is a higher percent of price for a PWC than for a pontoon; treat it as a planning estimate and replace it with a written quote.

Personal watercraft are cheap to buy next to a cabin cruiser and expensive to keep as a percent of price. Insurance and maintenance percentages are the highest in this model.

North Dakota boating is prairie reservoirs and rivers—especially Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri system—plus smaller lakes. The season is short and this model marks the state cold. There is no ocean coastline.

Calculator defaults on this page are planning inputs, not a survey of North Dakota asking prices or marina invoices. Replace them with your listing and quotes.

Shopping for a different boat? See North Dakota costs for a sailboat, bowrider, or bay boat.

BoatTypePrice$LengthftHorsepower (each)hpEnginesFuel

How you payLoanDown payment$APR%Illustration rate, not a quote.Termyrs

Where you keep itStateStorage

How you use itHours per yearOutings per yearZero outings still shows the bill. Most of it shows up whether you launch or not.Cruise load factorInsurance override (annual)$Blank uses the estimate. Any number, including 0, wins.Slip / storage override (annual)$Maintenance override (annual)$

All-in monthly

$386

Estimate based on the planning inputs above, not a quote. Your actual costs will vary.

$289 per outing

Most of this bill shows up whether you launch or not.

Fixed

$3,118/yr

$260/mo

Variable

$1,514/yr

Fuel + maintenance

Year-5 equity

Estimated value $8,923 vs loan balance $7,705.

Principal & interest	$1,888/yr
Insurance	$272/yr
Slip / storage	$500/yr
Winterization	$438/yr
Registration	$20/yr
Fuel	$554/yr
Maintenance	$960/yr
Annual total	$4,632/yr

Cruise burn 5.8 gph at $3.20/gal. SFC estimate, not a sea trial.

Results travel with the URL.

Compare own vs rent vs club →Trip fuel calculator →

All-in $386/mo · $289 per outing

What makes a personal watercraft expensive to keep

A personal watercraft is a sit-down or stand-up jet boat. This calculator treats it as its own type because insurers and shops do. The insurance floor is a higher percent of price than a pontoon, and maintenance is modeled at 6% of price unless you override it. That is a planning default, not a shop invoice.

Registration and education rules for PWCs are often stricter than for a 20-foot bowrider. Many states have a higher minimum age, a required safety certificate, or both. This page will not invent those ages. Read the official state agency link in the sources line.

Fuel is still SFC math: horsepower times engines times hours. A 110-horse PWC with 30 hours is a different fuel line than a 300-horse ski PWC you ride every warm evening. Storage is usually a trailer or a rack, not a wet slip. If a marina bills you for a PWC dock, put that number in the slip override.

Percent-of-price costs. Insurance and maintenance bite harder on a $16,000 machine than the same percents would on a cheap-looking monthly loan.
Hours. PWCs get ridden in short, high-load bursts. If that is you, do not leave hours at a casual default.
Education and age rules. These are state law, not calculator settings. See the state block.
Theft and tow vehicles. The model does not include a truck payment or a stolen-PWC deductible. Those are still real.

North Dakota rules that change the bill

Agency. North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Official page: https://gf.nd.gov/boating.

Registration and titling. Registration only (not a title state in the CA DMV table). The North Dakota Game and Fish 2026–2028 boating guide states that North Dakota is a registration state and does not issue titles for any watercraft, motor, or trailer. The registration card is the proof of ownership. North Dakota watercraft registration is a Game and Fish product. Owners of motor-propelled watercraft used primarily in the state must register for the three-year cycle. Official 2026–2028 length bands and the ANS fee are in the sourced-facts block on this page.

Sales or use tax (general). North Dakota has a statewide sales tax plus local taxes. Boat purchases are generally taxable. Confirm with the Office of State Tax Commissioner. This page does not quote a rate.

Boating education. Game and Fish requires Boat North Dakota for youth ages 12–15 who want to operate alone a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. The paper home-study course is listed as free.

Water and climate in this model. North Dakota boating is prairie reservoirs and rivers—especially Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri system—plus smaller lakes. The season is short and this model marks the state cold. There is no ocean coastline. This calculator adds a winterization line in cold states. Months-in-the-water and slip-rate defaults are planning assumptions, not a marina rate sheet.

Sources. North Dakota Game and Fish watercraft registration (checked 2026-10-06) · North Dakota Game and Fish boating safety guide 2026–2028 (checked 2026-10-06) · North Dakota Game and Fish boating education (checked 2026-10-06) · North Dakota Insurance Department (checked 2026-10-06)

Official North Dakota facts

Checked on the official pages linked below. Fees and statutes change. Confirm with the agency before you pay or operate. This calculator does not collect these fees or produce a quote.

Registration, not a title

The North Dakota Game and Fish 2026–2028 boating guide states that North Dakota is a registration state and does not issue titles for any watercraft, motor, or trailer. Owners of watercraft propelled by a motor and used primarily in the state must register. That includes pedal boats, kayaks, and canoes once a motor is placed on them, and similar motorized products. The registration card is the proof of ownership in North Dakota.

Source: North Dakota Game and Fish boating safety guide 2026–2028 (as of 2026-10-06).

2026–2028 registration fees

Game and Fish lists the January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028 cycle as $30 for motorboats under 16 feet (and all motorized canoes regardless of length), $45 for motorboats 16 feet and over but shorter than 20 feet (excluding canoes), and $60 for motorboats 20 feet or over (excluding canoes). Fees are prorated. This calculator’s annual registration default is a planning input, not a three-year Game and Fish receipt.

Source: North Dakota Game and Fish watercraft registration (as of 2026-10-06).

Aquatic nuisance species fee

An ANS fee of $15 is required for each motorized watercraft registered in North Dakota, running concurrent with the three-year registration period and prorated. Motorized watercraft operated on North Dakota waters but not licensed in the state owe a $15 ANS fee each calendar year and must display an ANS sticker.

Source: North Dakota Game and Fish watercraft registration (as of 2026-10-06).

Boating education

Game and Fish requires the Boat North Dakota course for youth ages 12–15 who want to operate by themselves a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. The home-study paper course is listed as free. North Dakota law does not allow a youngster to operate watercraft until age 12.

Source: North Dakota Game and Fish boating and water safety education (as of 2026-10-06).

Insurance regulator

This page does not publish boat-insurance premiums. Insurers operating in North Dakota are regulated by the North Dakota Insurance Department. Use a written quote in the insurance override.

Source: North Dakota Insurance Department (as of 2026-10-06).

How this applies to a personal watercraft in North Dakota

Registration band for this page’s default length

This page’s planning default is a 11-foot personal watercraft. For the 2026–2028 cycle Game and Fish lists $30 for motorboats under 16 feet (and motorized canoes of any length), plus the $15 ANS fee, with amounts prorated inside the three-year period. North Dakota does not issue a watercraft title.

Source: North Dakota Game and Fish watercraft registration (as of 2026-10-06).

Youth operators on a PWC

Game and Fish requires Boat North Dakota for youth ages 12–15 who want to operate by themselves a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. This page’s PWC default is 110 horsepower, so that youth rule applies if a 12- to 15-year-old operates alone.

Source: North Dakota Game and Fish boating and water safety education (as of 2026-10-06).

How much is PWC or boat insurance in North Dakota?

There is no single North Dakota price. The Insurance Department answers the legal-requirement question; an insurer still prices the machine, how and where you ride it, and who rides it.

What drives the cost

Value and type. Ask how the insurer classifies your PWC and whether horsepower changes the rate.
Theft and storage. Ask whether a locked garage, driveway, lake-cabin lift, or open lot changes the premium or theft coverage.
The trailer. Ask whether the trailer is covered on the PWC policy.
The tow vehicle. Ask your auto insurer how a highway claim while towing is handled. The model also leaves out any truck payment.
Who rides. Game and Fish requires Boat North Dakota for youth ages 12–15 who want to operate alone a boat or personal watercraft with at least a 10 horsepower motor. Ask how the policy treats family members, guests, and borrowed use.
Seasonal use. North Dakota has a short season. Ask whether a lay-up or storage period changes the policy.
Prairie reservoirs and rivers. Lake Sakakawea, the Missouri system, and smaller lakes are different riding conditions. Tell the insurer where you ride.
Coverage choices. Liability limits, deductibles, and how a total loss is valued.

Sources: North Dakota Insurance Department, Boats and Recreational; North Dakota Game and Fish, boating education; NAIC news release, May 1, 2015 (Insurance Department and Game and Fish checked Oct 9, 2026; NAIC checked Oct 7, 2026).

Coverage types to ask about

Liability: the Insurance Department describes boat liability as covering bodily injury and property-damage claims brought against you from operating the boat.
Physical damage: the Department says most policies cover damage to the boat, trailer, and motor if it is not done intentionally. Read the exclusions.
Medical expenses: the Department says boat medical expenses usually sit inside boat liability and pay medical bills for you, resident relatives, and other occupants after an accident, up to the policy limit.
Emergency service and wreck removal: the Department lists optional or included items such as emergency service and wreck removal. Ask what your quote includes.

The North Dakota Insurance Department says a homeowners policy probably will not cover your boat, because coverage is typically limited to smaller boats or boats without motors. The NAIC likewise notes that a homeowners policy may give only limited coverage for a small boat, and that personal watercraft often need a separate policy.

Sources: North Dakota Insurance Department, Boats and Recreational; NAIC news release, May 1, 2015 (Insurance Department checked Oct 9, 2026; NAIC checked Oct 7, 2026).

Questions to ask a North Dakota insurer

These are questions, not rules. Policies differ.

Is uninsured-boater coverage included, optional, or not offered?
Is on-water towing and assistance included or an add-on?
Does a Boat North Dakota certificate change the quote?
Is there a lay-up period, and what is covered while the PWC is stored?

How the calculator models PWC insurance

Unless you override it:

Personal watercraft: max(2% of price, $250) × state multiplier
Pontoons: max(1.2% of price, $250) × state multiplier
North Dakota’s state multiplier in the model is 0.85.

The multiplier is a modeling choice (inland, short season), not a North Dakota rate filing. Enter a written quote in the override field to replace the estimate.

More detail: what actually changes a boat insurance premium.

Where to check

North Dakota Insurance Department — Boats and Recreational: whether insurance is required, PWC vs boat, and coverage types.
North Dakota Insurance Department: consumer help and how to file a complaint.
NAIC — boat insurance consumer tips, May 1, 2015 (checked Oct 7, 2026): national, non-commercial overview of loss-settlement options.
North Dakota Game and Fish — Boating Safety Guide (2026–2028): on-water rules and the 2026–2028 boating guide.
North Dakota Game and Fish — Watercraft registration: motorized watercraft registration (already cited on the page).
North Dakota Game and Fish — Boating education: Boat North Dakota youth education.

Calculators and related pages

Other boats in North Dakota

Same personal watercraft, other states

Questions

Who registers a boat in North Dakota?: North Dakota Game and Fish Department is the agency to start with. North Dakota watercraft registration is a Game and Fish product. Owners of motor-propelled watercraft used primarily in the state must register for the three-year cycle. Official 2026–2028 length bands and the ANS fee are in the sourced-facts block on this page.
Does North Dakota charge sales or use tax on boats?: North Dakota has a statewide sales tax plus local taxes. Boat purchases are generally taxable. Confirm with the Office of State Tax Commissioner. This page does not quote a rate.
What official North Dakota fee applies to this personal watercraft example?: This page’s planning default is a 11-foot personal watercraft. For the 2026–2028 cycle Game and Fish lists $30 for motorboats under 16 feet (and motorized canoes of any length), plus the $15 ANS fee, with amounts prorated inside the three-year period. North Dakota does not issue a watercraft title. Source: North Dakota Game and Fish watercraft registration (as of 2026-10-06).
How much is boat insurance in North Dakota?: It depends on the boat or PWC’s value and type, storage, where you ride, who operates it, and the coverage you choose. The state does not publish prices. This page’s insurance line is a planning estimate from max(2% of price, $250) × 0.85; replace it with a written quote.
Is boat or PWC insurance required in North Dakota?: Not by state law for boats used on public waters. The North Dakota Insurance Department says the state does not require liability or property insurance for boats when used on public waters, and that a jet ski or personal watercraft is the same as any other boat for insurance. A lender, marina, or storage facility may still require proof of insurance. Ask before you sign. Source: North Dakota Insurance Department, Boats and Recreational (checked Oct 9, 2026).
Is a PWC cheaper to insure than a pontoon in North Dakota?: Not necessarily. In this model a PWC uses 2% of price (floor $250) while a pontoon uses 1.2% (same floor), both times North Dakota’s 0.85 multiplier, so a PWC carries a higher insurance percent of its price. Because PWCs usually cost less to buy, the total can still come out lower. A real insurer may price them very differently; get quotes on both.
Why is PWC insurance a higher percent in this model?: The planning rule is max(2% of price, $250) times the state insurance multiplier, unless you override it. Replace it with a quote.
Do I still winterize a PWC in a warm state?: This model adds winterization only in states marked cold. Follow the manufacturer’s storage steps either way; the dollar line here is a climate switch, not a shop manual.
What costs are included in the all-in monthly number?: Loan principal and interest (unless the boat is paid for), insurance, slip or trailer storage, winterization in cold states, registration, estimated fuel, and maintenance. Most of this bill shows up whether you launch or not.
What if the boat is paid for?: Choose Paid for — no loan. Principal and interest drop to zero. Insurance, storage, fuel, and maintenance still count. Buy vs rent treats the purchase price as cash paid up front.
Is the loan rate a real quote?: No. The default APR is an illustration rate, not a lender quote. Enter the rate on an offer you actually have.
How is fuel burn estimated?: Gasoline uses 0.50 lb/hp-hr specific fuel consumption and 6.2 lb/gal fuel weight. Diesel uses 0.40 and 6.9. Cruise gallons per hour is wide-open-throttle burn times a load factor (default 65%). This is an SFC estimate, not a sea trial.
What does year-5 underwater mean?: If the remaining loan balance after five years is higher than the depreciated boat value (15% the first year, then 10% per year), the loan is underwater in this model.