Arkansas boat insurance

The Natural State has thousands of lakes and rivers, creating an inclusive boating culture whether you're on the water for high-adrenaline adventures or low-key relaxation. If your watercraft's engine exceeds 50 horsepower, Arkansas requires you to carry boat insurance and you can attain a dependable and inexpensive boat policy from Progressive. Check out requirements, coverages, discounts, and cost information for boat insurance in Arkansas.

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Does Arkansas require boat insurance?

If your boat is more than 50 horsepower, Arkansas boating laws require boat liability coverage, which can pay for damage or injuries you cause on the water. If you need more coverage than the state minimum, you can increase your liability limits to better protect your assets. Here are the boat insurance coverages and minimum limits required in Arkansas:

Coverage	What it covers
Bodily injury and property damage liability	What it coversInjuries you're liable for and damage you cause to another boat or property while boating
Comprehensive	What it coversTheft, vandalism, fire, glass breakage, collisions with animals, and weather-related issues
Collision	What it coversCollisions with another watercraft, docks, or objects

Should you add comprehensive and collision coverage?

If you're financing or leasing your boat, lenders typically mandate boat comprehensive and collision coverage. But even if your boat is paid off, comprehensive and collision can be crucial safeguards against damage to what is often one of your most prized assets.

Comprehensive covers events out of your control, including boat theft, vandalism, fire, hitting an animal, and weather-related issues. Collision covers your boat if you collide with another watercraft, dock, or any object. Both coverages can pay up to the actual cash value of your watercraft, minus your policy's deductible.

How much is boat insurance in Arkansas?

In 2023, the average annual cost for a Progressive boat insurance policy in Arkansas was $288.59.^** However, Progressive offers boat insurance in Arkansas for as little as $100/year for a liability-only policy. ^* Your cost for boat insurance depends on several factors, such as:

Type of watercraft: From pontoon boats to PWCs, your boat's unique features may influence your rate
Boating experience: Experienced boaters may pay less for boat insurance than boaters new to operating a watercraft
Claims history: If you've filed an insurance claim in the past, regardless of fault, you may pay more for a boat policy
Horsepower: A powerboat with a large engine may cost more to insure than a sailboat with a smaller engine

Boaters in Arkansas can save on boat insurance by bundling insurance policies with Progressive. Get a multi-policy discount when you combine boat insurance with auto, homeowners, renters, RV, or motorcycle insurance.

How to lower the cost of boat insurance in Arkansas

If you live in Little Rock, Springdale, or anywhere else in the Natural State, there are multiple ways to score cheap boat insurance in Arkansas. Progressive helps you start to save immediately with a variety of discounts that can be automatically added to your policy, such as:

Multi-policy
Pay in full
Responsible driver
Safety course
Original owner

Find out more about boat insurance discounts.

What's the best boat insurance in Arkansas?

From Fayetteville to Fort Smith and all over Arkansas, the best boat insurance policy gives you valuable protection at an affordable price. Progressive provides cost-effective coverage that's personalized to you and your boat. Plus, unlike some boat insurers, we don't require a marine survey in order to get a policy.

Pro tip:

Auto insurance may pay for injuries or damages you cause while towing your boat trailer, but it won't pay for damage to your trailer. However, a boat insurance policy can pay to repair or replace your damaged boat trailer up to your policy's limits.

Additional boat coverages in Arkansas

Sign & Glide®: If your boat is stuck on the water, Sign & Glide® towing assistance ^†† can help with on-water towing, jump starts, fuel delivery,^† and more.
Propulsion Plus® mechanical breakdown coverage: In the event of a mechanical breakdown, Progressive can pay to repair or replace the lower unit of an outboard motor or the upper and lower units of an inboard/outboard motor (coverage doesn't apply to jet drives or inboard motors).
Wreckage removal: If your boat sinks, we can pay to remove your boat from the water.
Fuel spill: Progressive covers the cost of legally required cleaning that comes with spilled fuel.
Watersport coverage: If your guests are injured from water-tubing, water-skiing, and other related sports, we may cover their medical expenses up to a certain limit.
Fishing equipment or carry-on items: If your fishing equipment or other gear is lost or stolen, you can receive the full replacement cost up to $10,000 for fishing gear, scuba gear, phones, and other items. There's a $1,000 limit per item.

See all Progressive boat insurance coverages.

Arkansas boating information

Before you can boat on public waters, any boat propelled by an engine must have an Arkansas Certificate of Number (registration) and validation decals, per Arkansas law.
Boat registration in Arkansas is valid for three years.
There are 600,000 acres of lakes in Arkansas, and Norfolk Lake boasts over 550 miles of shoreline.