Kansas Boat Insurance

Get a full analysis of Kansas boat insurance costs, coverage, and companies.

Ann Herro, Insurance Expert Written by Ann Herro
Ann Herro, Insurance Expert
Written by Ann Herro

Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She has covered topics as easy as insuring a car, and as difficult as transparency in healthcare costs.

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Boat in the river. Find Kansas Boat Insurance.

Find the Best Boat Insurance Options in Kansas

Boating is a popular recreational activity on the many inland lakes and rivers in Kansas.  

In order to protect your assets while you enjoy time on your boat, it’s important to find appropriate Kansas boat insurance.

A local independent insurance agent can help you learn more about boat insurance in Kansas and find you a policy that meets your needs and budget. 

Best Boat Insurance Companies in Kansas

How can you make the best choice for boat insurance in Kansas? 

We selected the following carriers as some of the best boat insurance companies in Kansas. They are highly rated for their mix of valuable coverage offerings and competitive pricing. 

  • Progressive: Progressive is based in Ohio and offers personal insurance, including boat insurance. Kansas residents can look to Progressive for most of their personal insurance needs. 
  • Travelers: Travelers offers highly-rated boat insurance in Kansas. The company provides a variety of other personal insurance options, including auto, home, and renters insurance.
  • Safeco Insurance: Safeco has been protecting individuals and families with personal insurance coverage since 1923. With a comprehensive range of insurance coverage, including boat insurance, Safeco helps Kansas boat owners protect what’s important.
  • Foremost Insurance Company: Foremost was founded in 1952 and offers a wide range of coverage, including boat insurance, in 50 states. 
  • Nationwide: Nationwide provides boat insurance and other popular types of personal insurance coverage in Kansas. The company is headquartered in Columbus, OH, and is represented by independent insurance agents in 50 states, including Kansas.

An independent insurance agent in your area can help you learn more about these and other Kansas boat insurance companies. A local agent can help you get competitive quotes for the coverage that fits your needs.

Kansas Boat Insurance Requirements

Boat insurance is not required by law in Kansas, but there are a few cases where you might be required to purchase boat insurance by some other entity:

  • If you finance your boat purchase, your lender is likely to require you to carry insurance for the duration of your loan. Once you own the boat outright, however, insurance coverage is optional. 
  • If you are using your boat as collateral for a loan, the bank may require you to insure it.
  • You may be required to carry insurance if you dock your boat or yacht in certain harbors or marinas.

Many boat owners believe that their homeowners insurance offers liability coverage for losses caused by the negligent operation of their boat. While there may be some coverage in limited situations, it’s not likely to be enough to really help you if you’re at fault for a serious accident.

Homeowners insurance does provide some physical damage coverage for certain small boats (e.g., rafts, canoes, or kayaks) while they’re on your property (not in the water). And this coverage usually has a small limit, such as $1,000.

You’ll need to purchase boat insurance in Kansas if you want physical damage coverage for a larger motorized boat.

Your independent insurance agent can help you learn more about the requirements for boat insurance in Kansas and find you a policy that fits your needs. 

What Boat Insurance Covers in Kansas

Boat insurance in Kansas works much like car insurance. It covers bodily injury and property damage that you cause while operating your boat. Depending on the coverage you select, it can also cover physical damage to your boat and your property inside the boat. You can tailor your coverage depending on the type of boat you have, how and where you use it, and the types of items you keep onboard. 

A basic Kansas boat insurance policy provides you with liability coverage:

  • Bodily injury liability coverage: Covers the medical costs associated with injuries sustained by other boaters or by guests and visitors while aboard if you’re at fault for an accident.
  • Property damage liability coverage: Covers damage to other people’s property, such as docks, marinas, and other boats, if you’re at fault for an accident. 

You can also obtain coverage for physical damage to your own watercraft:

  • Collision coverage: Covers repairs to or replacement of your own boat, motor, trolling motor, or any permanent boating equipment due to damage caused by a collision with another boat or object while on the water.
  • Comprehensive coverage: This covers repairs to or replacement of your own boat, motor, trolling motor, or permanent boating equipment due to damage or loss caused by anything other than a collision, such as theft, vandalism, fire, or a storm.

Some additional coverage options include the following: 

  • Personal property coverage for equipment such as tools, life preservers, anchors, and oars
  • Coverage for fishing equipment like rods, lures, nets, and tackle
  • On-water towing and labor coverage for a disabled vessel
  • Medical payments coverage for hospital and funeral expenses for you or your passengers
  • Uninsured/underinsured boaters coverage for an accident with another boater with insufficient or no boat insurance

Your local independent insurance agent in Kansas can help you determine which coverage types may be beneficial for your unique needs. 

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Average Cost of Boat Insurance in Kansas

The cost of a boat insurance policy in Kansas can vary significantly from one person to the next. Boat insurance premiums depend on a number of factors, including the following:

  • The type, size, and age of the boat: A smaller, less expensive, or less powerful boat will cost less to insure than a large, expensive one. A bass boat, for example, will cost less to insure than will a cabin cruiser or yacht. Likewise, a powerful speedboat will cost more to insure than a less powerful motorboat. 
  • How frequently and where you use your boat: Most Kansas residents only use their boats for a few months out of the year. This can reduce costs significantly. In addition, whether you will be using your boat on inland waters or the open sea will affect the cost of boat insurance. 
  • The amount of liability coverage you purchase: If you are responsible for serious injuries to another, your liability expenses can be very high. If your boat insurance policy limits seem too low, you may want to consider supplementing them with an umbrella insurance policy.
  • The amount of your deductible: Higher deductibles result in lower premiums. You should be sure that your deductible amounts are low enough so that you can reasonably handle them.
  • Your driving record: Good drivers are statistically less likely to be responsible for boating collisions, so they will pay lower boat insurance premiums.
  • Your credit score: While it might not seem to be closely related, statistically speaking, if your credit score is low, you are deemed a higher risk of filing an claim than those with higher credit scores.

You may be eligible for certain discounts on your Kansas boat insurance policy. Some insurers offer a layup discount, as well as a discount for successfully completing a boating safety course. What’s more, you will likely be eligible for a discount if you bundle your Kansas boat insurance policy with your home and auto insurance. 

How to Find the Best Boat Insurance Quote in Kansas

An independent insurance agent can help you find the best Kansas boat insurance for your needs. A local agent can get quotes from multiple insurance companies to ensure you get the best coverage at the right price. Working with a local agent is the best way to get knowledgeable, superior service from someone who understands the needs of boat owners in your community. 

Find an independent insurance agent in your area now. 

Kansas Boat Insurance FAQs

Most boat owners in Kansas need boat insurance. It simply makes sense if you want to protect yourself from the costs of boat-related accidents, and if you want to cover your investment in your boat. 

If you’re at fault for a boat accident, you’ll be responsible for paying the medical bills for injured parties, and for paying to repair any damage that you do to other people’s property. Boat insurance provides liability coverage for these situations.

What’s more, boat insurance in Kansas can cover damage to your own boat if it’s damaged in a collision, or if it’s vandalized, stolen, damaged by a storm, and more.

There is no boat insurance law in Kansas. Boat insurance is optional unless you’re required by a lender to purchase it, or if a marina or harbor where you dock your boat requires you to have it.

Boat insurance always includes liability coverage, which protects you when you cause injuries or property damage to another party. You can also add on the following types of optional coverage: 

  • Collision coverage
  • Comprehensive coverage
  • Personal property coverage 
  • Fishing equipment coverage 
  • On-water towing and labor coverage 
  • Medical payments coverage 
  • Uninsured/underinsured boaters coverage

Boat insurance is recommended for most watercraft with motors, including fishing boats, pontoon boats, speed boats, leisure crafts, and yachts. Boat insurance generally does not cover canoes, kayaks, or personal watercraft. 

Every type of boat has the potential to be stolen, damaged, or involved in an incident that results in harm to another person or another person’s property. Even if your boat is docked or stored in your garage, it can be vandalized, damaged in a fire or storm, or stolen. Boat insurance can help you in all of these situations.

Kansas boat insurance rates vary based on a variety of factors, including: 

  • The type, size, and age of the boat
  • The size/horsepower of the motor
  • Whether you will be using your boat on inland waters or the open sea
  • The amount of coverage you purchase and the policy options you choose

You may be eligible for certain discounts on your Kansas boat insurance policy. Your independent insurance agent can help you determine all of the discounts that you’re eligible for.

TravelersProgressiveSafecoForemost Insurance Company, and Nationwide are some of the best boat insurance companies in Kansas. They are highly rated for offering broad coverage, top-notch customer service, and a variety of affordable options for boat owners.

A local independent insurance agent can help you find a competitively priced boat insurance policy that meets your needs. Independent agents aren’t tied down to one carrier. They can get quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can choose the Kansas boat insurance policy that best fits your needs and budget. 

An independent agent can also help you find other types of personal insurance, such as auto, home, or renters insurance.

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