Registration fees for Jet Skis and personal watercraft are more than three times higher than for boats in NSW and South Australia – making them among the highest fees in the world for a recreational vessel.
The sky-high registration fees for Jet Skis and personal watercraft in NSW and South Australia are at odds with all other states, which charge the same registration fees as boats – according to vessel length.
Four of the six Australian states – Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania – charge between $46 and $147.50 to register a vessel up to 5 metres in length (the longest Jet Ski on the market, a Sea-Doo Fish Pro Trophy, is 3.73 metres).
Meanwhile Jet Ski riders are slugged annual registration fees of $380 in NSW and $409 in South Australia – regardless of the size, type or purchase price.
For example, in NSW and South Australia the cost to register a $15,000 Jet Ski – usually a smaller, less powerful model aimed at people who are new to the sport – is the same as the fee for a $30,000 supercharged Jet Ski.
The cost to register a Jet Ski or personal watercraft (PWC) in NSW has risen from $346 to $380 over the past two years; in South Australia the cost has risen from $375 to $409.
The only good news for Jet Ski riders in South Australia is they have the cheapest licence fees nationally: less than $50 for a one-off lifetime fee, versus $1043 for a 10-year licence in NSW.
The disparity in fees for Jet Skis versus boats in NSW and South Australia has led to accusations of discrimination against a recreational boating segment that has delivered massive financial windfalls to governments via registration and licence revenue amid the recent rapid growth in the sport.
As previously reported, NSW riders of Jet Skis and personal watercraft collectively pay the most in annual registrations given the state has among the most expensive fees and represents the third highest number of PWC licence endorsements nationally.
In NSW, the current annual registration fee as this article was published in December 2023 was $380 – in addition to the most expensive annual licence fees nationally ($210 as this article was published).
Based on the 17,000 Jet Skis and personal watercraft registered in NSW in 2020, riders in the state contributed $5.9 million in annual registration fees – in addition to approximately $13.5 million in revenue from 70,500 annual licence fees.
The revenue from riders of Jet Skis and personal watercraft is believed to have swelled since then given the rising cost of the fees and the greater number of people coming into the sport.
This means riders of Jet Skis and personal watercraft in NSW are now estimated to have contributed more than $20 million in licence and registration fees.
Jet Ski and personal watercraft riders get the fairest deal on annual registration fees in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia (see table at the bottom of this story).
In those states, the cost of registering a Jet Ski or personal watercraft is the same as it is for a boat of similar length – between $62 and $147.50, depending on the jurisdiction.
Riders in the Northern Territory do not need to pay for a boating licence or registration, though they must contend with apex predators such as crocodiles, so the sport is not hugely popular there.
As previously reported, a spokesperson for the Boating Industry Association of Australia (BIA) said it is not fair for governments to discriminate against Jet Skis and personal watercraft by charging higher fees.
Many in the Jet Ski and personal watercraft community believe the higher fees imposed by NSW authorities are designed to discourage people from the sport and, given the higher cost compared to regular boating, to make it more difficult for riders of such craft to maintain compliance.
“Personal watercraft and the people who ride them should be treated fairly when governments consider boating regulations,” a spokesperson for the Boating Industry Association told Watercraft Zone.
“They should be managed by regulators as just another type of boat or another type of watercraft. The (industry’s) view is that personal watercraft should be treated equitably with other craft. And that includes all elements, regulations, and fee schedules.”
The industry spokesman added: “As with most activities, there’s often a minority who can spoil it for others, and that’s why education and compliance are so important. But disproportionate and excessive fees that make it harder for people to comply are absolutely not the answer.”
How annual Jet Ski and personal watercraft registration fees compare across Australia:
| Australian state or territory | Boat registration fee | Jet Ski and PWC registration fee |
| SA | $19 up to 3.1 metres, $60 up to 3.5 metres, $126 up to 5 metres | $409 (More than triple boat registration) |
| NSW/ACT | $75 up to 3 metres, $86 up to 3.5 metres, $97 up to 4 metres | $380 (More than triple boat registration) |
| QLD | $122 up to 4.5 metres | $122 (Same as boat registration) |
| VIC | $46 up to 4 metres, $96 over 4 metres | $46 (Same as boat registration) |
| WA | $147.50 up to 5 metres | $147.50 (Same as boat registration) |
| TAS | $89 | $89 (Same as boat registration) |
| NT | No registration required | No registration required |
Source: State and territory governments, December 2023. While care has been taken to avoid errors, fees are subject to change. Please check with your local authorities for the latest information. Costs listed above have been rounded.
How Jet Ski and personal watercraft licence fees compare across Australia:
| Australian state or territory | Boat licence fee | Jet Ski and PWC licence fee |
| NSW/ACT 1 year licence | $69 | $210 (More than triple boat licence fee) |
| NSW/ACT 3 year licence | $185 | $460 (Almost 2.5 times boat licence fee) |
| NSW/ACT 5 year licence | $292 | $720 (Almost 2.5 times boat licence fee) |
| NSW/ACT 10 year licence | $521 | $1043 (Double a boat licence fee) |
| VIC 1 year licence | $39.80 | $44.90 (13 per cent more than boat licence) |
| VIC 3 year licence | $119.40 | $134.70 (13 per cent more than boat licence) |
| VIC 5 year licence | $199 | $224.50 (13 per cent more than boat licence) |
| QLD Lifetime licence | $123.85 | $123.85 (Same cost as boat licence) |
| SA Lifetime licence | $48 | $48 (Same cost as boat licence) |
| WA Lifetime licence | $180-$280 (varies with course provider) | $180-$280 (Same cost as boat licence) |
| TAS 3 year licence | $49.50 | $99 (Double a boat licence fee) |
| NT | No licence required | No licence required |
Source: State and territory authorities, December 2023. While care has been taken while compiling this data, the fees are subject to change. Please check with your local authorities for the latest information.
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