Marine Accessories

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