Boating Question?

Question

What is the Boat License law? How old do you have to be to get one?

Answer 1

This varies by state.  In Maryland if you where born after 1972 you need to take and complete the boaters course.  There is no minimum age to take the course in Maryland, and not sure about other states.  Personal Water Craft - jet skis require the operator to be 16.

There are 42 states that now require boaters to complete training.

Answer 2

12 and older can drive a boat with an adult onboard. 18 and over do not need any type of license to operate a boat, but the boat has to be registered with the state and numbers on the side of the boat. Keep in mind tho that driving a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol will mean u're regular drivers license can be pulled... dosen't make sense but that's how it works

Answer 3

In my state a boat operators license does not exist. For PWC you need to be 16 (Varies state to state). Some allow younger users if you pass a safety class. Even though you may not need an actual license, breaking the states boating laws can result in penalties to your normal drivers license. IE: alcohol related citations (in my state) will be treated as if you were driving on the road. They can and do suspend your drivers license for open container, Driver drinking (any qty.) etc. Some question the mindset on these infractions, but to me it makes total sense. If you have a chance of losing your regular license and fines etc. then you have something that you really don't want to lose. Because of this the alcohal related injuries and deaths have dropped way off since it's inception. This is worth every bit of effort needed to keep the #'s low or at zero.

Answer 4

What state do you live in?