Boating Safety Education Requirement

Video: “Don't Get Left in the Past!”

Been a while since you've taken a boating safety course? Learn more about Virginia's new boating safety education requirement. Don't get left in the past!

In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly enacted a law to establish a boating safety education compliance requirement. This requirement will be phased in over the next several years and by 2016, all operators of PWCs (Personal Watercraft such as jet skis, Sea Doos, Wave Runners) and operators of Motorboats with a 10 hp or greater motor, will be required to have a boating safety education course completion card on board when operating a PWC or Motorboat.

As of July 1, 2009, all PWC operators between the ages of 14 and 20 must complete a boater safety course. PWC operators must be at least 14 years old. This is the beginning of the phase-in for all Virginia boaters.

A Personal Watercraft or PWC, more commonly known as a Ski-Doo® (Bombardier Recreational Products), Waverunner® (Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA), and JET SKI® (Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA), is defined as a motorboat less than 16 feet in length that are powered by jet pumps, not propellers, where the persons stand, kneel, or sit on, rather than inside the boat. Classroom and Internet courses that are NASBLA approved and accepted by VDGIF to meet these requirements are listed at the links below. If you are an experienced boater, you may choose to take an equivalency/challenge exam rather than take a boating safety course. Information about the equivalency/challenge exam can be found in the link below.

Additional Information: