State-Approved Boating License Courses
Get certified online. Take an approved course to meet your state’s boating education requirements. Choose your state to get started.
Choose Your State
How to Get Your Boating License Online
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Choose Your State
Choose your course and register for free. Boat Ed is the only boating license safety course provider that develops print materials on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and we’ve worked with boating safety agencies in Canada and more than 40 states to develop approved and recognized online boating safety courses.
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Take the Online Course
Complete the online course on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. It works on any device, and we’ve made the official curriculum fun and easy. Learning boating safety has never been so easy!
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Get Your Boating License!
After you pass the online course, you'll be one step closer to getting right on the water. When all education requirements have been successfully completed, you will receive your lifetime boater education card or certificate in the mail.
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How the Typical Boating Safety Course Works
Learning: Boating Safety
To help you become a better informed and safer operator, each course is broken down into 6 easy-to-understand units that you can complete at your own pace.
Course topics include safe vessel operation, etiquette, boating emergencies, and the legal requirements of boating.
Assessment: Unit Quizzes
As you go through the course, you’ll take a quiz at the end of each unit to determine how well you’re understanding the boating safety topics.
Each unit quiz requires a passing score before you’re allowed to go on to the next unit. If you don’t pass a unit quiz, don’t worry. You’ll just go back and study the unit and then try the quiz again.
Mastery: Course Completion
When you complete all units, you’ll then move on to the final steps in the certification process as mandated by your state or province. In most cases, the last step is a final exam that covers all the course material.
After you have successfully completed all education, you will receive your permanent boater education card in the mail.
Frequently Asked Questons (FAQ)
What Is a Boating License?
The proper term is “boater education certificate,” often referred to as a “boating license.” A boater education certificate serves as proof that you have successfully completed an approved boating safety course. Since a boater education card or certificate never expires and never needs to be renewed, it is not considered to be a boating license.
You can get a boater education certificate by taking a boat safety course with Boat Ed. Because each safety course has boating laws and regulations specific to that state, visit your state’s approved course to find out if you need the card in order to legally get on the water.
All you really need to operate safely and legally on state and federal waters is boater education. To get on the water as soon as possible, you can complete a boating license safety course on boat-ed.com with minimal time and effort, as well as with the comfort that comes from knowing you are taking a course that is officially approved by the agency responsible for boating safety in your state. With Boat Ed, you can complete an online boating safety course at your own pace and on any device. All courses are mobile-ready, which means that completing your course can be fast, easy, and entirely at your convenience.
Why Is Boater Education Important?
In the United States alone, more than 40 states have educational requirements that must be completed before you can operate a recreational vessel or personal watercraft on state waters. State law enforcement officers and boater safety agencies enforce education requirements to make sure everyone’s nautical experience is both pleasant and safe. Cooperate with them by following the boating laws and regulations found in your state’s approved boating license safety course, and carry your boater education certificate on board your vessel in case an enforcement officer asks to inspect it.
Even if your state does not require boaters to complete a boating license safety course before taking to the water, boating safety education can save lives and reduce accidents on the water. Boat Ed’s safety content, live-action videos, and up-to-date animations can help you learn about responsible boat operation and the rules of the waterways so that you can keep yourself and your passengers safe while boating. An educated boater is a safer boater.
What if I Don’t Live in the United States, but I Want to Learn Boating Safety?
Boat Ed resources and educational materials have been developed in conjunction with boating safety experts and state boating safety agencies throughout the United States. State courses are recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard and approved by both the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the agency responsible for boating safety in that state.
Boat Ed has also been accredited by Transport Canada to offer a boating safety course and administer tests for the issuance of the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC), including replacement cards, for Canadian boaters. The Boat Canada course is offered nationwide and has been recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard and NASBLA.
All states, territories, and provinces will recognize boating education cards that meet NASBLA requirements and Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator Cards that meet Transport Canada’s requirements. (This is known as “reciprocity.”)
Why Should I Take My Boating Safety Course With Boat Ed?
Boat Ed is produced by Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC., a print and online provider of recreational safety education, and is dedicated to providing print and Internet boating education courses and certification across North America.
Boat Ed is the only boating safety education course and exam provider that develops online courses, eBooks, and print materials on behalf of government boating and boater safety agencies in North America.