The card: rules, age, cost
Boating license age: how old to drive a boat alone
Two ages matter: the age at which a state lets a young person operate alone, and the birth year that makes the card mandatory. Pick a state and an age to see the first one.
Can you operate alone at this age?
Motorboat alone, Michigan
Yes
| Minimum age, motorboat | 12 yrs |
| PWC alone | Yes |
| Minimum age, PWC | 14 yrs |
Under 12: up to 6 hp freely; over 6 and up to 35 hp only with a certificate and a supervisor 16+ on board; never over 35 hp. PWC: none under 14; 14-15 with a certificate and an adult 21+ on board or within 100 ft; alone from 16 with a certificate.
There is no single boating license age in the United States: each state sets its own. For a motorboat, 23 of the 50 verified jurisdictions publish a minimum age to operate alone, from 12 to 16 years, often with a card required below a higher age or a horsepower limit. For a personal watercraft (jet ski), 29 publish a minimum, from 12 to 16 years, and the PWC age is often higher than the motorboat age. Below the minimum, most states still allow a young person to operate when a qualified adult is on board and within reach of the controls. A separate question is who needs the card: in most states it is everyone born on or after a cut-off date, so the rule follows the birth year, not the age today, while Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Oklahoma tie the requirement to an age band. Where a state's page gives no age, the tool says "not confirmed" instead of guessing. The tool answers for an age in a state; the second one tells whether a birth year needs the card.
Do I need a card? Quick answer
Georgia · motorboat
Yes, you need it
| Who needs it today | Born on or after January 1, 1998 |
| Power threshold | any motor |
| Free BoatUS course | accepted |
State rules read and practice questions written by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How each state is checked
Minimum ages in each state
| State | Motorboat alone | Jet ski alone | Card required for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 14 years | 14 years | All operators |
| Alaska | not confirmed | not confirmed | No general requirement |
| Arkansas | 12 years | 16 years | Born on or after January 1, 1986 |
| California | 16 years | not confirmed | All operators |
| Colorado | 14 years | 14 years | Up to age 17 |
| Connecticut | not confirmed | 16 years | All operators |
| Delaware | not confirmed | 16 years | Born on or after January 1, 1978 |
| District of Columbia | not confirmed | not confirmed | All operators |
| Florida | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 1, 1988 |
| Georgia | 16 years | 16 years | Born on or after January 1, 1998 |
| Hawaii | not confirmed | not confirmed | All operators |
| Idaho | not confirmed | not confirmed | No general requirement |
| Illinois | 12 years | 12 years | Born on or after January 1, 1998 |
| Indiana | 15 years | not confirmed | All operators |
| Iowa | not confirmed | not confirmed | Up to age 17 |
| Kansas | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 1, 1989 |
| Kentucky | 12 years | 12 years | Up to age 17 |
| Louisiana | not confirmed | 16 years | Born on or after January 2, 1984 |
| Maine | 12 years | 16 years | Born on or after January 1, 1999 |
| Maryland | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after July 1, 1972 |
| Massachusetts | not confirmed | 16 years | Born on or after January 2, 1989 |
| Michigan | 12 years | 14 years | Born on or after July 1, 1996 |
| Minnesota | 12 years | 12 years | Born on or after July 1, 2000 |
| Mississippi | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after July 1, 1980 |
| Missouri | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 2, 1984 |
| Montana | 13 years | 13 years | Up to age 14 |
| Nebraska | 14 years | 14 years | Born on or after January 1, 1986 |
| Nevada | not confirmed | 14 years | Born on or after January 1, 1983 |
| New Hampshire | not confirmed | not confirmed | By age band |
| New Jersey | 13 years | 16 years | All operators |
| New Mexico | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 1, 1989 |
| New York | not confirmed | 14 years | All operators |
| North Carolina | not confirmed | 16 years | Born on or after January 1, 1988 |
| North Dakota | 12 years | 12 years | Up to age 15 |
| Ohio | 12 years | 16 years | Born on or after January 1, 1982 |
| Oklahoma | not confirmed | not confirmed | Up to age 15 |
| Oregon | not confirmed | not confirmed | All operators |
| Pennsylvania | 12 years | 12 years | Born on or after January 1, 1982 |
| Rhode Island | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 1, 1986 |
| South Carolina | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after July 2, 2007 |
| South Dakota | 12 years | 14 years | No general requirement |
| Tennessee | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 2, 1989 |
| Texas | 13 years | 13 years | Born on or after September 1, 1993 |
| Utah | 16 years | 12 years | Up to age 17 |
| Vermont | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after January 2, 1974 |
| Virginia | not confirmed | 14 years | All operators |
| Washington | 12 years | 14 years | Born on or after January 1, 1955 |
| West Virginia | not confirmed | not confirmed | Born on or after December 31, 1986 |
| Wisconsin | 12 years | 12 years | Born on or after January 1, 1989 |
| Wyoming | 16 years | 16 years | No general requirement |
Two different rules
The age rule says how old a person must be to operate without an adult, sometimes only with a card. The education rule says who must carry a card, and in most states it follows the date of birth. A 30-year-old can need a card while a 15-year-old with a card is allowed to operate alone: both rules apply at once. The second tool checks the education rule for a birth year.
Do I need a card? Quick answer
Michigan · motorboat
Yes, you need it
| Who needs it today | Born on or after July 1, 1996 |
| Power threshold | motor more than 6 hp (PWC: anyone born after Dec. 31, 1978) |
| Free BoatUS course | not accepted |
The adult on board
Below the minimum age, states usually allow operation when an adult is on board, often 18 or older and sometimes required to hold a card themselves. The exact conditions, such as how close the adult must be to the controls, are in each state line of the state table. The federal Navigation Rules apply to every operator whatever the age.
Jet skis are stricter
Personal watercraft are fast and close to the water, and states often set a higher age for them than for a motorboat, along with daytime-only rules or a ban on towing for young operators. The PWC page gathers those rules.
Getting a young boater ready
Courses are open to children, and the free online course is approved in most states; see the free course page. The practice test is a good way to check what they have learned before the real exam.