Is it bad for a kayak to be a little scratched before its first launch?

Nope, I've bought most of my kayaks used so they all came with some hull scratches. Even the one plastic one that I bought brand new had some scuffs on the bottom when I picked it up at the shop. They are not shipped in boxes -- too big! So they do get scuffed in transport, especially since most come over in shipping containers from China (though the one I bought new came from England where it was made, but same thing). And some shops will take their new boats out to demo days on the water so people can try them out before they buy. Even carrying a kayak on a trailer mount or car roof rack will scuff it up a little. Unless they are deep gouges, I would not fret about it. Even deep gouges won't have a noticeable impact on performance, though you could talk to the dealer about it if they look REALLY bad and maybe they would throw you a few bucks discount. They won't if it is just scuffing though, since virtually every boat in their stock will have those kinds of scratches. When I used to work for a kayak dealer back in the late 1970's, we used to get fiberglass boats delivered by UPS with a label stuck to the decks! You can imagine what they looked like after bouncing around in the back of a UPS truck for days.

Actually, what you should do right away with your new boat is coat it with Scotch 303 UV protectant spray. You can find this in a lot of large auto or boating supply places or buy it on line. This will help keep sunlight from fading the boat and breaking down the plastic (it can get brittle over a number of years of exposure). You will also find that this makes those superficial scratches fade and be less noticable.

Congratulations on the new kayak! Paddle safely and have fun.

Nah, its fine. As long as you didn't punch a hole in it. Ive been using a kayak my dad gave me years ago and that thing is all scuffed up from the river. Well, the river and me dragging it on the cement at the boat ramp.

your fine