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 FWC Home : Safety : Boating Safety : Boating Safety Education FAQs

 

Boating Safety Education FAQs

 

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Frequently Asked Questions for the Boating Safety Education Requirements

I was born on or after January 1, 1988 and want to operate a boat in Florida.  Do I need a license?

In order to operate a motorboat of ten (10) horsepower or greater, Florida law requires anyone who was born on or after January 1, 1988 to successfully complete an approved boating safety course and obtain a Boating Safety Education Identification Card issued by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Florida does not have a "boating license."  The Boating Safety Education Identification Card is proof of successful completion of the educational requirements and is valid for life.

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I've heard there will be some changes in the law regarding the requirements to operate a boat in Florida.  What are the changes?

Effective January 1, 2010, boat operators who were born on or after January 1, 1988 must have a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card in order to operate a motorboat with ten horsepower or more.  The requirement to take an approved boating safety course and to obtain an FWC-issued identification card will not change, but the age threshold for the educational requirements will now be based on whether or not you were born on or after January 1, 1988.

  • The new law also creates an exemption from the educational requirements for an operator if he or she is operating  a vessel within 90 days after the purchase of that vessel and has available for inspection aboard that vessel a bill of sale meeting all the requirements as established in Chapter 328.46(1), Florida Statutes.

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Are some people who were born on or after January 1, 1988 exempt from these boating safety educational requirements?

Yes, there are some exemptions.  Below is a list of those exemptions.

  • A person licensed by the U. S. Coast Guard as a master of a vessel.
  • A person operating on a private lake or pond.
  • An operator who is accompanied onboard by a person who is least 18 years old and possesses the required Boating Safety Education Identification Card, provided that person is attendant to and responsible for the safe operation of the vessel.
  • An operator who is accompanied onboard by a person who is exempt from the educational requirements, provided that person is attendant to and responsible for the safe operation of the vessel.
  • A non-resident who has in his or her possession proof that he or she has completed a NASBLA-approved boater safety course or equivalency examination from another state.

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I will be visiting Florida from another state and I want to rent a personal watercraft.  How will these boating safety educational requirements apply to me?

As a non-resident, you must comply with the boating safety education requirements.  However, if you have proof in your possession that you have completed a boater safety course or equivalency exam that meets or exceeds Florida's requirements (usually in the form of a certificate or card), you would not need to have a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card.  In addition, you would also be exempt if you met any of the other conditions for exemptions listed in the previous question.

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I am an 18-year-old boater who just passed an approved online boating safety course and received a printed certificate of course completion.  Do I still need to get a boating safety card?

Yes.  In addition to the requirement to successfully complete an approved boating safety course, you must also have an FWC-issued Boating Safety Education Identification Card - along with a photo ID - in your possession to operate a motorboat of 10 horsepower or more.  The Boating Safety Education Identification Card issued by FWC is the only document that meets the legal requirements.

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I am 21 years of age and will be visiting Florida for a few days, but I don't have a Boating Safety Education Identification Card.  How can I rent a boat?

If you are visiting from another state and you do not meet any of the conditions to be exempt from the boating safety education requirements, you can get a temporary certificate in order to rent a boat.  These certificates are issued by vendors around the state.  A list of vendors  is available on-line. The temporary certificate is valid for one year and is not intended to be a permanent replacement for the Boating Safety Education Identification Card.

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I received a temporary certificate from an FWC contractor.  Can I send my Temporary Certificate to your office and exchange it for a Boating Safety Education Identification Card?

No.  The Temporary Certificate is a certificate that allows an individual to temporarily meet Florida's boating education requirements.  It is not a substitute for a Boating Safety Education Identification Card and is only valid for one year from the date it is issued.

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