South Dakota boat insurance

Boating enthusiasts in South Dakota can explore a multitude of lakes in the state, including the largest, Lake Oahe. If you own a pontoon, center console, sailboat, or another type of watercraft, Progressive offers customized and affordable protection for you and your boat, on and off the water. Learn about boat insurance in South Dakota, including coverages, discounts, and cost information.

4 min to read

Explore Progressive's editorial standards for Answers articles to find out why you can trust the insurance information you find here.

Do you need boat insurance in South Dakota?

Boat insurance isn't required by South Dakota 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 and you 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 South Dakota.

How much is boat insurance in South Dakota?

In 2023, the average annual cost for a Progressive boat insurance policy in South Dakota was $309.29.^* However, Progressive offers boat insurance in South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota

If you live in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, or anywhere else in the Mount Rushmore State, there are multiple ways to get cheap boat insurance in South Dakota. Progressive lets you start saving immediately, with a variety of discounts that can be automatically added to your policy, such as:

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

Find out more about boat insurance discounts.

What's the best boat insurance in South Dakota?

From Sioux Falls to Rapid City and everywhere in between, the best boat insurance policy in South Dakota offers the coverages you need at a price you can afford. Progressive specializes in providing inexpensive and dependable protection 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 South Dakota

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.

South Dakota boating information

South Dakota boaters may not operate a nonmotorized boat over 12 feet in length or a motorboat of any length unless a valid registration decal is displayed on each side of the bow of the boat.
In South Dakota, anyone under the age of 14 may not operate a personal watercraft (PWC), of any horsepower, unless there's a person 18 years or older on board.
In South Dakota, vessels are required to show navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility.