Boating Education Requirements in each US State
Boating Education Requirements by State:
Find out if your state requires mandatory boating safety education
| State | Does your state require mandatory boating safety education for some segment of the population? | Who is required to complete a boating education course in your state? | Are only residents of your state required to complete a boating education course? | Other, please specify |
| Alabama | Yes | In general, anyone 12 years old or older who operates a vessel on state waters. | No | |
| Alaska | No | No one | Other, please specify | See 11 |
| American Samoa | Yes | PWC operators 18 and under | ||
| Arizona | No | Only volunteer boating safety education instructors for the agency. | Other, please specify | N/A |
| Arkansas | Yes | Anyone born on or after January 1, 1986 | No | |
| Australia | ||||
| British Columbia | ||||
| California | Yes | State law allows courts to order any boat operator that is convicted of a moving violation. Violators must take and successfully complete course | No | |
| Colorado | Yes | A person 14 YOA or older, who is less than 16 YOA, may operate a motorboat only if he or she has completed an approved boating safety course. | No | |
| Connecticut | Yes | All residents or owners of real property or anyone wishing to boat morethan 60 days in a year | Other, please specify | also people boating greater than 60 days per year |
| Delaware | Yes | any person born on or after Jan 1st 1978 | No | |
| District of Columbia | Yes | All persons | No | |
| Florida | Yes | Operators of vessels powered by motors of 10hp or more who are 21 years of age, or younger. In addition, anyone convicted of a criminal boating violation, a non-criminal boating safety infraction that resulted in a boating accident, or two non-criminal boating safety infractions with in a twelve-month period is required to enroll, attend and successfully complete a classroom boating safety course. | No | |
| Georgia | Yes | Age 12 to 15 to operate certain vessels on their own. | No | |
| Guam | No | |||
| Hawaii | Yes | All operators of PWCs | No | |
| Idaho | No | People renting a PWC, boat operators convicted of OUI, repeat offenders of boating laws | ||
| Illinois | Yes | persons at least 12 years old and less than 18 years old, if they wish to operate a motorboat by themselves | No | |
| Indiana | Yes | All vessel operators are required to possess a valid drivers license with exception of 15 yr olds who have taken and passed a boater education course and possesses an Indiana Identification card. | Yes | |
| Iowa | Yes | 12 through 17 year olds who operate a motorboat over 10 h.p. or a PWC. | No | |
| Kansas | Yes | anyone born on or after January 1, 1989 and under 21 years of age regardless of date of birth. | No | |
| Kentucky | Yes | Those between the ages of 12 and 17 | No | |
| Louisiana | Yes | under the age of 16 | No | |
| Maine | Yes | 16 & 17 yr. olds who will operate a PWC. | No | |
| Manitoba (Canada) | ||||
| Maryland | Yes | Anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 who is operating a motorized vessel on MD waters must have a valid certificate of boating safety education | No | |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Any person of at least 12 years of age and less than 16 yoa, operating a motorboat without adult supervision. PWC users 16 and 17 years of age. (PWC’s cannot be operated by youth less than 16 yoa). | No | |
| Michigan | Yes | Those less than 12 years of age: May operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 horsepower (hp) legally without restrictions. May operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp but no more than 35 hp legally only if they are directly supervised on board by a person at least 16 years of age. May not operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 35 hp legally under any conditions. Those 12 to 15 years of age: May operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 hp legally without restrictions. May operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp legally only if they: Have passed a boating safety course approved by the Department of Natural Resources and have on board their boating safety certificate or … Are accompanied on board by a person at least 16 years of age | ||
| Minnesota | Yes | Ages 12-17 to operate a motorboat over 25 HP | Other, please specify | Any boat operator 12-17 y/o resident or non res |
| Mississippi | Yes | Persons born after June 30, 1980 | No | |
| Missouri | Yes | Any person born after January 1, 1984 | No | |
| Montana | yes | Youth 13 and 14 years of age must either complete a boating education course or be accompanied by an adult in order to operate a motorboat or PWC with a motor greater than 10 horsepower. | No | |
| Nebraska | Yes | all motorboat operators 14 to 18 | No | |
| Nevada | yes | Persons born on or after Jan. 1 1983 who operate motorboats of more than 15 hp on interstate waters. | Other, please specify | People from states with a requirement must meet it |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Everyone 16 years of age or older operating a vessel over 25 horsepower. | No | |
| New Jersey | Yes | All PWC operators, all other power vessel operators born in 1959 and later June 1, 2008, all other power vessel operators boarn in 1949 and later. June 1, 2009, all power vessel operators, regardless of DOB | No | |
| New Mexico | Yes | Those born on or after Jan 1, 1989. | No | |
| New York | Yes | operators of pwc over the age of 14 children between the age of 10 and 18 that want to operate a mechanically proppled boat, other than a pwc, alone | No | |
| North Carolina | Yes | PWC operators between 14 and 16 years of age if they want to operate on their own. | No | |
| North Dakota | Yes | No person of twelve through fifteen years of age may operate a motorboat (includes personal watercraft, i.e. jetskis, etc.) propelled by over a ten horsepower motor unless the operator is accompanied by a person eighteen years of age or older or the operator has taken and passed a boating course approved by the Department. | No | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | No | All | No | |
| Ohio | Yes | Anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 who operates a powerboat greater than 10 horsepower. | No | |
| Oklahoma | Yes | All persons from 12 to less than 16 years of age. | No | |
| Ontario (Canada) | ||||
| Oregon | Yes | boaters 12 and older operating a motorboat greater than 10 horsepower | Yes | |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Operators born after January 1, 1982 to operate motorboats greater than 25 horsepower and all operators of PWC. | No | |
| Puerto Rico | Yes | All borned after July 1rst, 1972 | Yes | |
| Quebec (Canada) | ||||
| Rhode Island | Yes | All PWC Operators and anyone born after 1-1-86 operating a vessel powered by an engine of 10 or more horsepower | Other, please specify | We require PWC renters to take a course |
| South Carolina | Yes | Persons younger than 16 years of age that operate a boat powered by 15 horsepower greater engine by themselves. | ||
| South Dakota | No | NA | Other, please specify | NA |
| Tennessee | Yes | TN Resident born after 1/1/89 must pass a proctored exam | No | Any person (resident or non-resident) who was born after Jan. 1, 1989 must show proof they have completed an approved NASBLA course. |
| Texas | Yes | Operators between ages 13-17 years | No | |
| Utah | Yes | Personal Watercraft operators 12 through 17 years old | No | |
| Vermont | Yes | Any person born after January 1, 1974. | No | |
| Virgin Islands | ||||
| Virginia | Yes | Currently only ages 14 and 15 for personal watercraft. Beginning July 1, 2009 compliance with boating safety education will be phased in according to age category. | Yes | |
| Washington | Yes | Operators of motorboats with 15 horsepower or greater, must be 12 years of age or older. Is being phased in beginning January 2008 starting with 12 to 20 year olds and increasing age each year until fully implemented in 2014. | Other, please specify | non residents may operate for 60 days |
| West Virginia | Yes | Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986 | Other, please specify | Out of state boater are exempt for 30 days. |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Anyone born on or after 1-1-89 and who is at least 16 years | No | |
| Wyoming | No | No |
Sources:
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