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Do you need a boater card in your state?
Pick your state. See who needs the card, whether the course can be online and the date we read it.
Verified states
Verified so far: 7 of 51 states
| State | What the state says | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Yes, if you were born on or after January 1, 1986, you're of legal age to run a motorboat or sailboat, and you run one on Arkansas water. You have to pass a course the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) approves. Its classroom course is free. Once you have the certificate, it's good for life. | |
| California | Yes, if your boat has an engine, at any age, unless an exemption covers you. To get the card, pass an approved course. The state's boating agency has a free one. Renting a boat is exempt, and so is running a boat under the direct supervision of an adult who holds a California boater card. Some visitors from other states are exempt too. | |
| Florida | You need the card if you were born on or after January 1, 1988 and run a boat with a 10 hp motor or more. You can take the course online with an FWC-approved provider. | |
| Illinois | Yes, if you were born on or after January 1, 1998 and run a motorboat over 10 horsepower, unless you're a minor with a parent, guardian or an adult they choose supervising you on board. Born before that date? You don't need one. No one under 10 may run a motorboat. The certificate is valid for life. | |
| Massachusetts | Yes, if your boat has a motor and you were born after January 1, 1989. You can skip it if a certificate holder over 18 supervises you directly, or if an exemption covers you. If you were born on or before that day, you need it by April 1, 2028. The state calls it a certificate, not a license. Renting a motorboat does not exempt you. | |
| New Hampshire | Yes, if you're 16 or older and you run a motorboat over 25 horsepower on New Hampshire waters. At 18 or older, you can take the final exam online. Under 18, it's in person. The state calls it a boating education certificate. | |
| Texas | Yes, if you were born on or after September 1, 1993. You need it to run a personal watercraft, a sailboat over 14 feet or a boat with a motor over 15 horsepower. Born earlier? You don't, unless a court orders it. |
Coverage by state
- Verified, opens its page
- No page yet
- AL Alabama, no page yet
- AK Alaska, no page yet
- AZ Arizona, no page yet
- AR Arkansas, verified
- CA California, verified
- CO Colorado, no page yet
- CT Connecticut, no page yet
- DE Delaware, no page yet
- DC District of Columbia, no page yet
- FL Florida, verified
- GA Georgia, no page yet
- HI Hawaii, no page yet
- ID Idaho, no page yet
- IL Illinois, verified
- IN Indiana, no page yet
- IA Iowa, no page yet
- KS Kansas, no page yet
- KY Kentucky, no page yet
- LA Louisiana, no page yet
- ME Maine, no page yet
- MD Maryland, no page yet
- MA Massachusetts, verified
- MI Michigan, no page yet
- MN Minnesota, no page yet
- MS Mississippi, no page yet
- MO Missouri, no page yet
- MT Montana, no page yet
- NE Nebraska, no page yet
- NV Nevada, no page yet
- NH New Hampshire, verified
- NJ New Jersey, no page yet
- NM New Mexico, no page yet
- NY New York, no page yet
- NC North Carolina, no page yet
- ND North Dakota, no page yet
- OH Ohio, no page yet
- OK Oklahoma, no page yet
- OR Oregon, no page yet
- PA Pennsylvania, no page yet
- RI Rhode Island, no page yet
- SC South Carolina, no page yet
- SD South Dakota, no page yet
- TN Tennessee, no page yet
- TX Texas, verified
- UT Utah, no page yet
- VT Vermont, no page yet
- VA Virginia, no page yet
- WA Washington, no page yet
- WV West Virginia, no page yet
- WI Wisconsin, no page yet
- WY Wyoming, no page yet
States without a page yet
We don't have a page for these states yet:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Want a page for your state sooner? Email corrections@statecertguide.com and tell us which one.
What NASBLA-approved means
In Florida, the course must be state-approved and meet the minimum rules of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).
Florida Statutes 327.395(2)(a) · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens state website)
What NASBLA approval means in other states: [source pending].