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It’s easy to think that just because a boat is on the water, away from city and state police, you can keep any gun onboard. You might even argue that a boat with bunks is a sort of “home,” so you should be able to keep any gun on board that you can have at your house. But that is far from the truth. The laws surrounding having a gun on your boat are complex.

The first situation is carrying a gun in a holster on your boat. But, even if you are on a lake or a river, you are subject to the concealed and open carry laws of the state that controls that body of water. Translation: if you don’t have a concealed carry permit for the state of Michigan, you aren’t suddenly free to concealed carry because you’re on a boat in Lake Michigan.

The second situation is if you are using your boat as a vehicle to transport a gun. One scenario would be taking a boat to a remote hunting camp on a river. Just like transporting a firearm in a car, you’ll want to unload your firearm and store it as securely as possible.

Hunter in camouflage clothes holding the tiller of a powerboat outboard engine while motoring down a river, a dog sitting at his feet.
Hunter and a dog on a boat | spittfire via iStockPhoto

Obviously the laws for transporting a gun via boat vary according to the states you’re traveling through. They are often part of the hunting and fishing guidelines. If you are on a house boat, you may have room for a gun case. If you are transporting multiple rifles in something as small as a canoe, the logistics can be more challenging.

The Hunter-Ed website outlines the proper method: The first passenger in the canoe places their unloaded rifle in the bow (front), barrel pointing forward. Then they get into the front seat. The next person then sets their unloaded rifle in the stern of the boat, barrel pointing back, and they get into the rear seat.

So what if you are on the high seas, sailing through international waters? Surely no gun laws apply there, right? Not so fast.

A boat in international waters is in many ways an extension of its country where its registered. According to Maritime Law, all crew and passengers aboard a ship flying a U.S. flag and registered in the U.S. must follow U.S. laws–such as firearm restrictions. But if that boat leaves international waters, everyone is also subject to the laws of the country whose waters they are sailing through.

Next, read about a replica of Ernest Hemingway’s fishing boat with 700 horsepower, or see the U.S. Concealed Carry Association’s guide to having a gun on your boat in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.