New York Boat Course
All boaters born on or after May 1, 1996 are required to complete an approved boater education course to operate a watercraft.
*Starting January 1, 2025, a Boating Safety Education Certificate will be required of all operators, regardless of age.*
Three steps to become a Licensed Boater
Complete Course
State-accredited online course for all ages
Pass The Online Exam
Unlimited re-tries
Go Boating
Print temporary license and start boating!
Is it called a Boating License?
Some people may call it a Boat License or Boaters License. However, it is not a license. It is known as a Boater Education Certificate or a Boater Education Card. The reason it is not called a New York boating license is that it does not expire or need to be renewed.
After you have successfully completed the NASBLA / New York approved Boater Safety Course and Exam, you will be issued a New York Boater Card. This card is good for life.
Remember, your Boater Card must be carried with you while operating marine vessels. Otherwise, it may result in a fine from a local law enforcement officer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Course
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You must be 14 years of age or older and must pass a boating safety education course before you are allowed to operate a watercraft in New York.
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Persons at least 10 years old and born on or after May 1, 1996 may operate recreational boat other than PWC only if he or she:
Passed a boating safety course approved by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and has the State Boating Safety Certificate on board or is accompanied on board by a person 18 years of age or older who either has a State Boating Safety Certificate on board or is not required to have a certificate.
Person at least 14 years old may operate a PWC only if he or she:
Has passed a boating safety course approved by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and history Preservation and is carrying the State Boating Safety Certificate on board or is accompanied by a person 18 years of age or older who holds a State Boating Safety Certificate.
No Person under 14 years of age may operate PWC.
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You must be 14 years of age or older and must pass a boating safety education course before you are allowed to operate a watercraft in New York.
Only the following are exempted in having a boating safety certificate:
Both U.S. and Canadian licensed commercial vessel operators,
State certified instructors,
Certified instructors of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Power Squadrons,
Police/peace officers, fire/rescue personnel and lifeguards acting pursuant to their assigned duties.
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The minimum age to take this course is 10 years old.
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The course takes a minimum of 3 hours
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No, you can do it over one sitting or as many sittings as you would like
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No, you do not need to be a resident of New York to take this course
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No, you did not fail the course and need to try again
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You need to score 76.00% to pass chapter quizzes
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There are 60 questions on the final exam.
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You need to score 76.00% to pass the final online exam
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There are quizzes at the end of each chapter in the boater education course
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No, it is not an open book exam
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Yes, you must pass the course before taking the exam
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No, we do not the materials available offline
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Yes, you must pass (the course and) the exam before you can drive a boat
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Yes, the boater education course provides a foundation for other boating courses
Certification
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No this is just a certificate that proves that you have taken a boating safety course and passed the exam.
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You can print the certificate after passing the exam and start boating. Your permanent card will be mailed within 2 to 3 weeks.
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You can print your temporary certificate from your dashboard after logging in
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Once you pass and pay for the New York boater course, you will be able to immediately print out the Certificate of Completion. This is your proof of online course completion. You can print the Certificate of Completion right then, and/or request that a PDF be emailed to you.
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The New York boater education card is good for your lifetime
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No, if you took a boater education course in another state or in Canada, it will be recognized in New York
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No, you do not need to renew your boater education card. It is good for life
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You can use your temporary certificate for [60 days] to operate a personal watercraft, after which you are required to have your New York boater education card
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Starting January 1, 2020. New York is implementing a phase-in-by-age law that will require a new age group to become certified per year which requires all motorized boat and PWC operators to pass a boater safety course and to have a New York boater card by January 1, 2025.
All motorized boat operators born on or after January 1, 1993 will be required to carry the New York boater card by January 1, 2020.
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No, you do not need a proof of competency to operate a non-powered watercraft
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Your boater education from another state or Canada is proof of competency
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Yes, your boater education card can be revokable and suspendable if laws are broken
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Please email [email protected].
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Yes, there is a penalty for not carrying your New York boater education card while boating
Course Accreditation
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Yes, our New York boater education course is approved by the New York Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
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Yes, our New York boater education course is approved by NASBLA
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For visting boaters, all US states, US territories, Canadian provinces, and Canadian territories will recognize boater eduation cards that meet NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators) and Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator Cards that meet Transport Canada's requirements
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The phone # is 518-474-0456 and the mailing address is 625 Broadway, , Albany, New York 12207
Price & Billing
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The New York boater education course costs $34.95
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Yes, our website is secure and it is safe to enter your credit card information
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Customers can using debit and credit. We do not accept Bitcoin or other digital currencies at this time
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No, there is no annual cost
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The New York boater course is valid for your lifetime from the time of registration and payment
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Please email us your issue or concern and we will review on a customer-by-customer basis.
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Yes, we have an affiliate program where we reward referrals. Below is the link for more information and to sign up: https://www.shareasale.com/shareasale.cfm?merchantID=57099
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We offer referrals through our affiliate program (https://www.shareasale.com/shareasale.cfm?merchantID=57099). We may do promotions from time to time
Replacement Documents
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You can re-print your temporary card after logging into your account, assuming you passed the course and exam
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Please email [email protected].
Account
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Select a course and click the "Sign Up!" button
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On the Login screen, click "Lost Password?" and follow the steps
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Please email [email protected] or call 1.888.885.8830
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No, you will not lose your progress
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You can login as many times as you would like
IT
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Yes, you can access the course on a mobile phone
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Yes, you can access the course from a desktop, mobile phone or tablet
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If you lose your internet connection, it will take you back to the point in the course you were currently at
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Yes, the course will run on any web browser
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You can take the exam on any computer that has an internet connection and a browser
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There are no videos in the course
Moving to New York
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Yes, provided it was issued from your current state of residence, and the course was approved by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators. Look for the NASBLA logo on your certificate.
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Yes as long as it meets the requirement set by NASBLA.
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There are no limits on how long you can drive a boat with your out of state card as long as it is recognized and approved by NASBLA.
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You can get more information by visiting New York State Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation (ny.gov).
General
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If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us directly at [email protected] or by phone @ 1.888.885.8830
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Our hours of operation are 9am-midnight EST
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We offer an official online boat course to get your boater card, which is accredited by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and the New York Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
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Please email [email protected]
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Please check out our job postings or email [email protected]