FAQs About Boating Safety Education Requirements

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

To operate a motorboat of ten (10) horsepower or greater requires anyone who was born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, to successfully complete an approved boating safety course and obtain a Boating Safety Education Identification Card issued by the FWC.

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

Are there any exemptions to the boating safety educational requirements for people born on or after Jan. 1, 1988?

Yes, the following is a list of 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 nonresident 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 AND a photographic I.D.
A person 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.
A person operating a vessel within 90 days after completing an approved boating safety course, as required in Chapter 327.395(1), and has a photographic I.D. and a boater education course completion certificate showing proof of having completed the required boating safety education course. The course completion certificate must provide the student's first and last name, date of birth, and the date the course was successfully completed. (Effective Oct. 1, 2011.)

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

As a nonresident, you must comply with the requirement that anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, must have either successfully completed a boating education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) or have passed a course equivalency or temporary certificate examination and have in your possession a boating education ID card and a photo identification card before operating a vessel with a motor of 10 HP or more in Florida.

In addition, you would also be exempt if you met any of the other conditions for exemptions listed in the previous question.

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 a boating safety card?

Yes. In addition to successfully completing an approved boating safety course, you must have an FWC-issued Boating Safety Education Identification Card AND a photo ID in your possession to operate a motorboat of 10 horsepower or more.

Effective Oct. 1, 2011, a course completion certificate for an approved course - along with a photo ID - can be used for up to 90 days from date of issue to operate a motorboat of 10 horsepower or more. To meet the legal requirement, the course completion certificate must have your first and last name, your date of birth and the date you successfully completed the course. You must have the certificate with you - along with a photo ID - while operating the boat. The course completion certificate can be used for up to 90 days and it is not a permanent replacement for the Boating Safety Education ID Card.

Learn how to get a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card after successfully completing an approved Florida boating safety course.

I am 26 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 rent a boat by getting and carrying a temporary certificate along with your photo ID.

Vendors authorized by the FWC to offer the temporary certificate exam are located throughout the state. Individuals who pass the online exam will be issued a certificate that is valid for up to 90 days.

Learn how to obtain a temporary course completion certificate.

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 allows an individual to only temporarily meet Florida's boating education requirements. It is valid for 90 days from the date it is issued. It is not a substitute for a Boating Safety Education Identification Card.

If I am required to have a Boating Safety Education Identification Card to operate a boat and I just completed an approved boating safety course, can I operate my boat while I am waiting to receive my permanent card?

Yes, a course completion certificate and your photo ID can be used temporarily as proof of meeting Florida’s boating safety education requirement.

To meet the legal requirement, the course completion certificate must have your first and last name, your date of birth and the date you successfully completed the course. You must have the certificate with you, along with a photo ID, while operating the boat. The course completion certificate can be used for up to 90 days. It is not a permanent replacement for the Boating Safety Education ID Card.

Learn how to get a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card after successfully completing an approved Florida boating safety course.