Vermont boat insurance

Vermont is home to beautiful destinations like Lake Champlain and Lake Bomoseen. For boaters who own power boats, sailboats, or another type of personal watercraft, Progressive offers personalized and affordable protection. Find out about boat insurance in Vermont, including coverages, discounts, and cost information.

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Is boat insurance required in Vermont?

Boat insurance isn't required by Vermont law, but some marinas may mandate boat liability coverage. In addition, if you lease or finance your watercraft, your lender may require comprehensive and collision coverages for your boat, which may pay to repair or replace your damaged or stolen watercraft.

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

If you own your boat outright but aren't required to carry liability coverage, protecting your watercraft investment — as well as your assets if you cause an accident on the water — can still be important for boaters in Vermont.

How much is boat insurance in Vermont?

In 2023, the average annual cost for a Progressive boat insurance policy in Vermont was $266.94.^* However, Progressive offers boat insurance in Vermont 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 power boat with a large engine may cost more to insure than a sailboat with a smaller engine

Boaters in Vermont 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, or motorcycle.

How to lower the cost of boat insurance in Vermont

Whether you live in Colchester, Montpelier, or anywhere else in the Green Mountain State, there are multiple ways to obtain cheap boat insurance in Vermont. Start saving immediately with a variety of Progressive discounts that can be automatically added to your policy, such as:

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

Find out more about boat insurance discounts.

What's the best boat insurance in Vermont?

From Burlington to Rutland and throughout Vermont, the best boat insurance policy provides the coverage you need at an affordable price. With a Progressive policy, you get inexpensive and dependable protection that's customized 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 Vermont

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.

Vermont boating information

All persons born after January 1, 1974, must complete an approved Vermont boating safety course to operate any motorized vessel legally.
Per Vermont boating regulations, all vessels, except sailboards, must carry one USCG-approved wearable personal flotation device for each person on board.
In Vermont, all vessels, regardless of length or type, are required to carry night signals when operating between sunset and sunrise.