Do you need a permit to drive a jet ski if under 16

Question

14 and I was on a lake here in Cali and water patrol person said that I needed a permit to drive one and take a safety course, was he just toying me or is this true...thanks

Answer 1

U need a boaters liscence

Answer 2

Looks like the water patrol person got it wrong. Apparently according to the law you are not allowed to operate the jet ski at all. People that do operate the jet ski and violate any operation law must take a boating safety course. But according to what I found here you have to have a person on board that's at least 18.

Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating

Who May Operate a Vessel

California law requires a person to be 16 years of age or older to legally operate a vessel powered by a motor of 15 horsepower or more, including personal watercraft (PWCs).

Exceptions to this law are:

    * Persons 12 to 15 years of age may operate a vessel powered by a motor of 15 horsepower or more, including personal watercraft, if they are supervised on board by a person at least 18 years of age.

    * There is no age restriction for operating a sailboat under 30 ft. long (with wind as the main source of propulsion) or a dinghy used between a moored vessel and shore or between two moored vessels.

It is illegal to permit a person under the age of 16 to operate a vessel powered by a motor of 15 horsepower or more, including personal watercraft, without onboard supervision by a person 18 years of age or older.

Students who pass the Boat California online course will be issued a boating safety education certificate approved by the California Department of Boating & Waterways.

Court Ordered Boating Education

Any person convicted of any moving violation in the Harbors and Navigation Code, the Federal Rules of the Road and regulations adopted by the California Department of Boating and Waterways while operating a vessel must be ordered by the court to complete and pass a boating safety course approved by the Department of Boating and Waterways.

Proof of completion and passage of the course must be submitted to the court within seven months of the time of the conviction.

Answer 3

yes, you do. you need to take some kind of water safety and vehicle test to get your permit

Answer 4

the safety coure is like a 4 hour thing and you need to take it for any motorized vehicle in the water, and if your under 16 i think you might need somebody else over 16 near you if your on jetski's.