On the water — gear, trailer, and all.
From a bass boat on Beaver Lake to a jet ski at the sandbar — and here's the part that surprises people: Arkansas is one of the few states that actually requires boat liability insurance. Foremost's marine program, written by Foremost Choice and Signature, is built for the water: agreed value on the hull, your fishing gear and trolling motor covered, and towing whether you break down on the lake or on the road. Here's how it works, the tiers, and the Arkansas rules. From an independent agency that places it every day.
The short answer
Boat and watercraft are written by Foremost Choice and Foremost Signature; the combined Foremost360 platform doesn't write it. Foremost's marine program brings agreed value on the hull, physical damage and high liability, on-water and trailer towing, and — a real standout — fishing gear at full replacement cost with a low $100 deductible and no sub-limit. Arkansas is one of the few states that require boat insurance: $50,000 liability for motorboats over 50 HP and all personal watercraft. Backed by an A (Excellent) carrier group — and quoted against 40+ others.
Two families write it — the specialist and the standard.
Like motorcycle, boat is written by two of the three Foremost families. Your vessel goes to whichever fits it best.
- Watercraft as part of the specialty book
- Bass & fishing boats, pontoons, PWC
- Value, Plus & Elite marine packages
- Classic & performance-boat options
- The former MetLife Auto & Home book
- Boat on its own or packaged
- Bundles with your home & auto
- The full-featured program
- The combined MetLife + Foremost platform
- Auto, home, landlord & umbrella only
- Your boat goes to Choice or Signature
A boat is not a bigger car — and its policy isn't either.
Hulls, bilges, livewells, trailers, on-water breakdowns, fishing gear, people on a tube behind you — none of that is contemplated by an auto policy. That's why the boat belongs on a marine policy written by people who understand it. Because we write both Foremost marine programs and represent 40 other carriers, we put your vessel where the coverage and price actually fit — and bundle it with your home and auto for a package credit.
The hull, the gear, and the whole day.
The coverages that make a Foremost marine policy different from a "boat rider" tacked onto something else.
Physical Damage
Repairs or replaces your boat and motor after a covered loss — collision, striking a submerged object, fire, theft, storm — on an agreed-value or actual-cash-value basis depending on your package.
Liability & Wreckage
Covers bodily injury and property damage you're liable for — and Foremost includes protection if your boat spills fuel, plus the cost to recover and protect a wrecked boat from further damage.
Uninsured Watercraft
If an uninsured boater hits you, this responds — the on-water version of uninsured motorist coverage, and a real risk given how many boats carry only the state-required minimum.
Personal Property & Fishing Gear
Apparel, sports and fishing equipment, GPS, and fish finders at full replacement cost — and unlike many carriers, Foremost doesn't exclude or surcharge fishing gear, with no sub-limits and a low $100 deductible.
On-Water & Trailer Towing
Break down afloat and Foremost pays to tow you to the nearest repair or deliver gas, oil, or a battery — and the same assistance applies if your trailer is disabled on the way to the ramp.
Medical Payments & Watersports
Medical payments for you and your guests in, on, or boarding the boat — and, included with liability, coverage for people you tow on skis, wakeboards, or tubes. The whole day on the lake, not just the boat.
What a total loss actually pays.
The single biggest choice on a boat policy is how a total loss settles — and it's built into which package you choose.
- The most affordable package
- Total loss settles at depreciated value
- Core physical damage & liability
- Best for older or lower-value boats
- Agreed value — no depreciation on a total loss
- Total-loss replacement cost
- Trip interruption & more
- The popular middle tier
- Agreed value plus the broadest features
- Diminishing deductible, pollution liability
- Boat lift, trip interruption, even pet coverage
- Up to $250 gas/oil delivery on a breakdown
Agreed value, plus a 20% cushion — and tournament anglers, take note.
With agreed value there's no depreciation on a covered total loss, and Foremost can pay up to an additional 20% over your amount of insurance if a replacement costs more. For fishing boats, the program can add replacement cost on your gear and tournament-fee reimbursement if a covered event keeps you from fishing. And there are dedicated options for pontoons, personal watercraft, and classic or performance boats. Trolling motor? Covered — under the hull if it's permanently mounted, or as personal property if it comes on and off.
Yes, Arkansas actually requires it.
Arkansas is one of only a few states that require boat insurance. Any motorboat over 50 horsepower, and every personal watercraft, must carry at least $50,000 of liability from an Arkansas-authorized insurer, with proof on board.
Who it applies to — and why the minimum isn't enough.
Required: motorboats powered by engines over 50 HP, and all personal watercraft (jet skis, Sea-Doos, WaveRunners) regardless of horsepower. Proof of insurance must be carried on the boat and shown to enforcement, and registration for these vessels must include it.
The catch: that required $50,000 is liability only — it pays for damage you do to others. It does nothing for your own boat, motor, trailer, or gear. That's why nearly every owner adds physical damage (agreed value) on top. Separately, Arkansas requires a Certificate of Number and decals to operate almost any motorized or sail boat, including trolling-motor boats — registration and insurance are two different boxes to check.
The ones worth mentioning.
Foremost rewards paying ahead, storing the boat in the off-season, and keeping your policies together.
Paid in Full
Paying your first policy term in full up front earns a discount — a simple saving if the budget allows it.
Lay-Up / Storage
Store your boat or PWC out of the water for at least three months a year and a lay-up discount can lower the off-season cost — while coverage still stays in force.
Multi-Policy / Bundle
Insuring your boat alongside a home, auto, or other Foremost policy earns a package credit — and across the three Foremost families you can mix and match and still bundle.
Safe-Boater & More
Completing a boater-safety course and other qualifying factors may help — worth asking about, especially if you've taken an Arkansas boating-education course.
Backed by an A (Excellent) group.
On August 1, 2025, AM Best affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent), stable outlook, for the members of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies — the group behind the Foremost companies that write this coverage in Arkansas. A financial strength rating is an opinion about an insurer's ability to pay claims; it doesn't grade how a specific claim is handled, and it isn't a recommendation to buy or keep a policy. Different question, different source — the current rating is at ambest.com.
Where we earn it on a boat policy.
The boat mistakes are specific: carrying only the state-required liability and nothing on your own boat, a hull insured at actual cash value when you assumed agreed value, fishing gear nobody knew was covered, and no on-water towing when you're stranded mid-lake. We catch those at the quote and match the boat to the right program and tier. We don't adjust your claim and can't overrule an adjuster — but we'll tell you whether a claim is worth filing, make sure the right coverage responds, chase the file when it stalls, and move you to another of our 40-plus markets if Foremost stops fitting.
Your boat and how you use it set the number.
Boat premium turns on the type, length, horsepower, and value of the vessel; the package and whether you choose agreed value; your liability limits; your boating experience and record; where you keep and use it; and your gear and trailer. A pontoon, a bass boat, and a performance boat price on completely different logic. Too many variables for a webpage figure to mean anything, so we won't post one. This isn't a quote or a guarantee. What reliably helps: right-sizing your hull value and gear coverage, bundling with a home or auto, and taking the lay-up discount if you truly store it. Send your declarations page and we'll build the number with you.
The policies around this one.
Foremost boat questions.
Which Foremost writes boat and watercraft insurance?
Two of the three Foremost families write it. Foremost Choice covers watercraft as part of its specialty book, and Foremost Signature — the former MetLife Auto & Home program — writes boat as well, on its own or packaged with your home and auto.
The combined Foremost360 platform does not write boat; it handles auto, home, landlord, and umbrella. Either marine program covers a wide range of vessels — bass and fishing boats, pontoons, runabouts, cabin cruisers, sailboats, and personal watercraft — and we place both, matching your boat to the right one.
Does Arkansas require boat insurance?
Yes — and this surprises a lot of people, because Arkansas is one of only a few states that require it. Any motorboat powered by an engine of more than 50 horsepower, and every personal watercraft (jet skis, Sea-Doos, WaveRunners) regardless of horsepower, must carry liability insurance of at least $50,000 per occurrence, issued by an insurer authorized in Arkansas, with proof carried on board.
Keep in mind that this minimum only covers damage you do to others; it does nothing for your own boat, motor, or gear, which is why most owners carry physical damage coverage too.
Is my fishing gear and trolling motor covered?
Yes, and this is a real Foremost strength. Personal property — including fishing equipment, rods, GPS, and fish finders — is covered at full replacement cost with no depreciation, and unlike many carriers Foremost does not exclude fishing equipment or charge a separate premium for it; there are no sub-limits and a low $100 deductible applies.
Your trolling motor is covered too: under the hull coverage if it's permanently attached, or as personal property if you take it on and off. For an Arkansas bass boat, that combination is exactly what you want.
What's the difference between agreed value and actual cash value?
It decides what a total loss pays. Agreed value settles a covered total loss for the amount stated on the policy, with no deduction for depreciation — and Foremost's option can even add up to 20% over the amount of insurance if a replacement costs more. Actual cash value is cheaper but subtracts depreciation, so an older boat may settle for far less than you expect.
Foremost's basic Value package uses actual cash value, while the Plus and Elite packages use agreed value and add features like total-loss replacement cost, a diminishing deductible, pollution liability, and trip interruption. We help you pick the package that fits the boat and the budget.
Am I covered on the water, on the trailer, and in the off-season?
All three. Towing and assistance covers a breakdown while you're on the water — Foremost will pay to tow you to the nearest place repairs can be made or deliver gas, oil, or a battery — and it also applies if your trailer is disabled on the road. Your boat is covered while being towed or transported, too.
And because the policy term is annual with coverage not removed in the off-season, you're protected year-round; if you truly store the boat out of the water for several months, a lay-up discount can lower the off-season cost instead.
How do I get a Foremost boat quote in Arkansas?
Foremost is agent-only, so an appointed agency like ours is how the coverage is bought. Start at our personal lines quote form or call (479) 286-1066. Have the year, make, model, length, horsepower, and value of the boat, plus the trailer and any electronics or trolling motor.
Tell us how and where you use it — Beaver Lake, Table Rock, tournament fishing, or the sandbar — since use shapes the right coverage. If you carry a current boat declarations page, send it; it's how we confirm your liability meets the Arkansas requirement and your hull, gear, and trailer are valued right.
If our coverage explainers are useful, mark Cribb Insurance as a preferred source so more Northwest Arkansas boaters can find our local, plain-English guides.
Foremost is one of 40+ carriers we represent.
Which means we can put your boat on the right Foremost marine program — Choice or Signature — or on one of our other specialty markets if that fits better, and bundle it with your home and auto. Send your current boat declarations page and we'll read it back in plain English: your liability against the Arkansas requirement, your hull on agreed value, and your gear and trailer valued right. If what you have is already right, we'll say so.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc. is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arkansas. We are not Foremost, and this page is not endorsed, sponsored, reviewed, or approved by Foremost. "Foremost," "Foremost Choice," "Foremost Signature," "Foremost360," and "Farmers" are service marks or trademarks of the Foremost Insurance Group, the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, and their affiliates, used here nominatively to identify products we are appointed to place. Foremost Signature is the property-casualty business formerly known as MetLife Auto & Home, acquired by Farmers in 2021. Foremost's Arkansas boat and personal watercraft policies are issued by Foremost- and Farmers-affiliated underwriting companies through the Foremost Choice and Foremost Signature programs; the combined Foremost360 program does not write boat coverage.
This page describes coverage in general terms for informational purposes only. It is not a policy, not an offer of insurance, and not a guarantee of coverage, availability, eligibility, or price. Programs, packages (Value, Plus, Elite), coverages, features, limits, deductibles, discounts, and eligibility vary by Foremost family, by package, by policy, by state, and over time, are set by the carrier, and are subject to underwriting approval and to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Agreed value, the up-to-20% replacement feature, fishing-equipment and personal-property coverage, trailer coverage, on-water and trailer towing, watersports liability, tournament-fee reimbursement, pollution liability, and similar features are subject to package, program, and state availability and their own terms and limits. If anything on this page conflicts with the issued policy, the policy controls.
Statements about Arkansas boat insurance, liability minimums, and registration requirements are general information, not legal advice, are subject to change, and are governed by current Arkansas law as administered by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and the policy actually issued. Financial strength ratings are opinions of an insurer's ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations, are subject to change, are not recommendations to purchase, hold or terminate any policy, and do not address an insurer's claims-handling practices; current ratings are at ambest.com. The A (Excellent) rating referenced was affirmed by AM Best on August 1, 2025 for the members of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, which include the Foremost underwriting companies. No cost figures are represented or guaranteed on this page; any premium is determined by the carrier at quote based on your specific vessel and risk.
Last reviewed July 2026.