{"data":{"id":"us/36-cfr-3.9","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"36 CFR 3.9","heading":"May I operate my personal watercraft (PWC) in park waters?","body":"(a) A person may operate a PWC only in park areas where authorized by special regulation. Special regulations may only be promulgated in the 21 parks listed in the following table:\nName Water type State\nAmistad National Recreation Area Impounded Lake TX\nAssateague Island National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay MD/VA\nBighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Impounded Lake MT\nBig Thicket National Preserve River TX\nCape Cod National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay MA\nCape Lookout National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay NC\nChickasaw National Recreation Area Impounded Lake OK\nCumberland Island National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay GA\nCurecanti National Recreation Area Impounded Lake CO\nDelaware Water Gap River PA/NJ\nFire Island National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay NY\nGateway National Recreation Area Open Ocean/Bay NY\nGlen Canyon National Recreation Area Impounded Lake AZ/UT\nGulf Islands National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay FL/MS\nIndiana Dunes National Lakeshore Natural Lake IN\nLake Mead National Recreation Area Impounded Lake AZ/NV\nLake Meredith National Recreation Area Impounded Lake TX\nLake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Impounded Lake WA\nPadre Island National Seashore Open Ocean/Bay TX\nPictured Rocks National Lakeshore Natural Lake MI\nWhiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area Impounded Lake CA\n(b) Where authorized, operation of a PWC on park waters is subject to the following conditions:\n(1) No person may operate a PWC unless each person aboard is wearing a Type I, II, III, or V PFD approved by the United States Coast Guard.\n(2) A person operating a PWC equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard-type engine cut-off switch must attach such lanyard to his person, clothing, or PFD, as appropriate for the specific vessel.\n(3) No person may operate a PWC anytime between sunset and sunrise.\n(4) No person may operate a PWC by jumping the wake, becoming partially airborne or completely leaving the water while crossing the wake of another vessel within 100 feet of the vessel creating the wake.\n(5) If a park area is located within a State that has more restrictive regulations for the operation of PWC, then applicable State law applies in lieu of paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(4) of this section.","path":["Title 36—Parks, Forests, and Public Property","CHAPTER I—NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR","PART 3—BOATING AND WATER USE ACTIVITIES"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-36.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:44Z","sha256":"124fdab9484229d31f2df5297ef713e28a50c38b74ecb14bda49072370e86326","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/36-cfr-3.8","next":"us/36-cfr-3.10"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}