BOATING LICENSE TEST

Do you need a Florida Boating License?

Florida’s boating education requirement is set by Chapter 327, Florida Statutes and enforced by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Here is exactly who must carry a boating safety certificate on the water:

Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988

If you were born on or after January 1, 1988, you must have a valid Florida Boating Safety Education Identification (BSEID) card — or an approved temporary certificate — to legally operate any motorboat rated at 10 horsepower or more on Florida waters. This applies whether you own the boat, rented it, or borrowed it from a friend.

All PWC operators — regardless of birth year

Florida law requires every person who operates a jet ski, wave runner, or any other personal watercraft to carry a boating safety certificate — no matter when they were born. This is one of the most important distinctions in Florida boating law: the birth year exception does not apply to PWC operators. If you ride a jet ski on Florida waters, you must have the certificate. The minimum age to operate a PWC in Florida is 14.

Visitors and out-of-state boaters

If you are visiting Florida from another state and were born on or after January 1, 1988, Florida’s requirement applies to you too. Florida accepts boating safety certificates from courses approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). If you do not already hold a NASBLA-approved certificate, you will need one before operating a motorboat or PWC in Florida.

Boaters born before January 1, 1988

• If you were born before January 1, 1988, you are generally exempt from the boating license requirement — unless you operate a personal watercraft. Florida has no plans to phase in a requirement for older boaters beyond PWC operations. That said, having the BSEID card makes you a more informed and safer boater regardless of your birth year.