Most Australian states require young children to wear a life jacket on a boat, but the fine print is not the same from one border to the next, and it often depends on more than just the child's age. The waters it applies to, the vessel type and the lifejacket level the law demands all shift depending on where and what you are boating. A jacket bought off the shelf marked "kids" is not automatically the right one. It has to match the child's weight, the water underneath the boat and whichever rule applies where you actually are.
The rule changes at the state line
Here is how five states set the requirement for children, current as of each state's own guidance:
- NSW: Children under 12 must wear a lifejacket on all vessels up to 4.8 metres long at all times, and in open areas of vessels up to 8 metres long whenever the boat is underway. NSW discourages inflatable lifejackets for children under 12 and sets the standard at Level 50S or above on enclosed waters, Level 100 or above on open waters.
- Victoria: Every person under 12 in an open area of a vessel must wear a lifejacket at all times while the boat is underway. Victoria's published rule sets no vessel-length threshold, unlike NSW and South Australia.
- Queensland: Under rules that took effect on 1 December 2024, children over one year and under 12 must wear a lifejacket on an open boat, or in the open area of a boat of any length, while it is underway. By 1 September 2025, every lifejacket carried in Queensland must meet the current Australian Standard, AS 4758.
- Western Australia: On a registrable vessel of 4.8 metres or more, operating beyond 400 metres from shore in unprotected waters, children aged 1 to 12 must wear a Level 100 or higher lifejacket. WA's rules do not stop there: on a non-registrable vessel under 4.8 metres in unprotected waters, everyone on board, not just children, must wear at least a Level 50S lifejacket, and anyone riding a personal watercraft in WA must wear at least a Level 50S lifejacket at all times, in all waters, regardless of age.
- South Australia: Children 12 and under must wear a properly fitted lifejacket at all times in open areas of boats up to 12 metres. Marine Safety SA says the lifejacket level required also depends on the vessel and the water zone, so check its own guidance for the exact level on your boat and water.
Each of these states defines "open area", vessel length and water zone a little differently, and carrying a lifejacket for every person on board is a separate obligation from wearing one. In NSW, once a child turns 12 the child-specific rule stops applying and the general adult rule takes over, though wearing one at all times is still strongly recommended. Boat across more than one state, or use something other than a standard motorboat, such as a PWC, kayak or tender? Check your state's maritime authority directly for that craft rather than borrow a rule written for a different one.
Life jackets are sized by weight, not just age
A lifejacket bought for "a child" is not one size. NSW's own guidance points buyers to weight rather than age when fitting one, and says the smallest lifejackets meeting the Australian Standard start from 5kg, sold as Level 100 with a crotch strap. For a baby too small for even that, NSW's advice is that the parent wears a lifejacket and holds the infant, rather than relying on a lifejacket built for a much heavier child.
Weigh the child and check that number against the weight range printed on the jacket's own label rather than guessing from age alone. Both NSW and Victoria's guidance recommend one fitting detail specifically for children: a crotch strap. Victoria's own wording is that it "assists to hold the child in the jacket", which matters because a jacket a small child can wriggle out of in the water is not doing its job, whatever level it is rated.
What the levels actually mean
Maritime Safety Queensland's own breakdown ties each level to both the water and the activity, not to the wearer's age. Level 100, 150 and 275 are rated for open water, and can also be worn in smooth or partially smooth water. Level 50 is for partially smooth water, and can also be used in smooth water, including by water skiers, people being towed, and PWC riders; Maritime Safety Queensland notes it helps keep a wearer afloat but has no collar to hold the head above water. Level 50S is a separate, lower rating again, for smooth water only and meant for short periods in the water, sometimes built into a buoyancy wetsuit rather than a standalone jacket.
NSW's own figures follow a similar shape: Level 50S or above for enclosed waters, Level 100 or above once you are on open water. The practical point for a family boat is that a jacket rated only for the calmest water a state recognises is not automatically a lawful or a sensible choice once the trip moves into open water, whatever the packaging calls it.
What to check before you buy, or before you trust one that came with a boat
- Weight range on the label, checked against the child's actual current weight at the start of each season, since kids grow between trips.
- A crotch strap, correctly fastened, on every child's jacket.
- A current AS 4758 marking. Queensland's 1 September 2025 deadline for lifejackets to meet the current standard, and South Australia's move to the same standard from 1 January 2025, are both reminders that an older jacket, however good the foam still feels, may no longer meet the rule in either state.
- Condition, not just level. Torn stitching, frayed webbing or faded, brittle fabric are signs a foam jacket has had enough, regardless of what its label still says.
A secondhand boat often comes with a locker full of lifejackets already on board, and it is tempting to assume they will do. Weigh the child, check the label, look for the crotch strap, and check the condition of the foam and the stitching before anyone relies on it on the water.
