Boating Safety Certification -- Is It Required in Your State?

[NautiqueJeff]

I wanted to remind everyone that it is a good idea (and a legal responsibility in some places) to become certified to operate a boat. In Virginia, where I live, they have passed a law requiring everyone to become certified by July 1, 2016, and it is being phased in by age. I fall into the 40 years of age and younger group, so I was legally required to complete my certification by July 1 of this year.

The BoatU.S. Foundation's Free Online Boating Safety Course satisfies the mandatory boating education requirement for Virginia requiring all boaters to complete a boating safety course approved by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries before July 1, 2016.

This requirement will be phased in according to the schedule below:

1. All PWC operators, regardless of age, and motorboat operators 30 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2012;
2. Motorboat operators 40 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2013;
3. Motorboat operators 45 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2014;
4. Motorboat operators 50 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2015;
5. All motorboat operators, regardless of age, shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2016.

Your state may have other requirements. I suggest you check the link below and choose your state to see what (if any) requirements there are for your state.

By the way, the link below is the ONLY free course/certification plan available for Virginia. The rest all require classroom time and/or a fee. The courses in the link below are free, however some states still require a classroom visit or an in-person test.

BoatUS Free Online Boating Courses (by state)

[AirTool]

Good point NJ. I'm out of the country now and on standby a lot. A buddy working with me is from LA and yesterday he took an online course while we are stuck at the hotel. We've been talking about flares, anchor lights, and other stuff he never new and I'd forgotten about because I'm on a private lake.

From what he told me, LA invoked it by age and "grandfathered" older people...but they just "un-grandfathered" by a few years and he fell into the new coverage.

So good point....check your local state and check again later because it may change.

I would hope that if something changed in Texas...They'd send something in the mail registered boat owners.

[NautiqueJeff]

Yeah, that seems to be happening in a few places. I checked some random states and found that quite a bit.

I didn't know that flares were required in VA until I took this course. I just picked up a pack of them the other day, so I have all of the required gear now. Better to find out that way I suppose!

[swankster]

I'm making my 17 year old take one and am looking at doing it myself too, after he asked me a couple of questions I couldn't answer correctly.

[AirTool]

I didn't know that flares were required in VA until I took this course. I just picked up a pack of them the other day, so I have all of the required gear now. Better to find out that way I suppose!

I need to check on flares in Texas. There is always flares in my dad's fishing boats. But I was on a Texas lake 3 or 4 years ago and stopped for the shakedown....he went through everything in detail like 1) actually wanted to see the date and gauge on my extinguisher and 2) made me lift my clam shell to hear my blower (I suggested the motor was quiet and suggested he go feel the air at the vent and he didn't like that and 3) asked for my "identification"....often a rule overlooked. I often leave that in the truck and thought that only applied to fisherman (maybe it does). Note he didn't ask for any fishing licenses because we didn't have poles I guess.

But he didn't ask for flares.

[HS]

Yep, required here. I got mine before the age phase in, and right when he turned 12 my oldest got his card.

[robertsmcfarland]

flares are only required in coastal waters and inlets two miles or wider going out to to coastal waters, and a few other rivers feeding off the ocean in VA. but as Jeff,said its a good idea to have any way, its just a good safety item to have on board, you don't need it till you need it!!!!!

[shag]

You'd be surprised how many people do not know simple boating requirements. As accidents increase, it's probably the governments job to at least try to quell some of the accidents by at least requiring this. It's definitely a good thing. While most boaters are safe, we've all seen the yahoo out there who operates carelessly...
Great post Jeff!

[Pjoachim]

You'd be surprised how many people do not know simple boating requirements. As accidents increase, it's probably the governments job to at least try to quell some of the accidents by at least requiring this. It's definitely a good thing. While most boaters are safe, we've all seen the yahoo out there who operates carelessly...
Great post Jeff!

Couldnt agree more. So many bad boat drivers out there.