Course and practice test
Boating license online: which states accept it
In most states you can earn the card without leaving home. A few want the exam in person or under a proctor. Pick your state to see which applies.
Can I do it all online?
Online from start to finish, New Jersey
No
| Online course accepted | Yes |
| In-person or proctored exam | Yes |
| Free BoatUS course | not accepted |
In 34 of the 46 verified states that require boater education, a course and its exam taken entirely online are enough for the state card: you study at your own pace, pass the final test on screen and receive a certificate, then the card. Alabama, Connecticut and New Jersey require the final exam to be taken in person or under a proctor, even after an online course, and Connecticut does not accept an online course for the credential at all. For 9 states, the official pages we read do not say clearly whether online is accepted; the tool shows them as not confirmed. "Online" is not the same as "free": the free BoatUS Foundation course is online too, but only approved in some states, while paid online courses from approved providers exist in most. The tool reads both facts for your state, and the second tool gives the name of the credential you will receive.
What is the credential called in your state?
Connecticut credential
Safe Boating Certificate (SBC) / Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation (CPWO)
| Issued by | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) |
| Valid for | lifetime |
| Required for | All operators |
State rules read and practice questions written by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How each state is checked
The answer for each state
| State | Online course accepted | Exam in person or proctored | Credential issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | yes | yes | Vessel operator license (class V) |
| Arkansas | yes | not confirmed | Boating education certificate |
| California | yes | not confirmed | California Boater Card |
| Colorado | yes | not confirmed | Boating safety course certificate |
| Connecticut | no | yes | Safe Boating Certificate (SBC) / Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation (CPWO) |
| Delaware | yes | not confirmed | Delaware Boating Safety Certificate |
| District of Columbia | not confirmed | not confirmed | Boating Safety Certificate |
| Florida | yes | not confirmed | Boating Safety Education Identification Card |
| Georgia | yes | not confirmed | Boater education card |
| Hawaii | yes | not confirmed | Boating safety course certificate (+ thrill craft operator certification for PWC) |
| Illinois | yes | not confirmed | Illinois Boating Safety Certificate |
| Indiana | yes | not confirmed | Boater education certificate |
| Iowa | yes | not confirmed | Iowa boater education certificate |
| Kansas | not confirmed | not confirmed | Boater safety education certificate |
| Kentucky | not confirmed | not confirmed | Kentucky Safe Boating Certificate |
| Louisiana | yes | not confirmed | Boater education certificate |
| Maine | yes | not confirmed | Boating Safety Education Card |
| Maryland | not confirmed | not confirmed | Certificate of boating safety education |
| Massachusetts | yes | no | Boater safety certificate |
| Michigan | yes | no | Boating safety certificate (boater education card) |
| Minnesota | yes | not confirmed | Watercraft operator's permit |
| Mississippi | yes | no | Boater education card |
| Missouri | not confirmed | not confirmed | Boating safety identification card |
| Montana | yes | no | Montana Motorboat Operator's Safety Certificate |
| Nebraska | not confirmed | not confirmed | Boater Education Card (boating safety certificate) |
| Nevada | yes | no | Boater education card |
| New Hampshire | yes | no | Safe Boater Education Certificate |
| New Jersey | yes | yes | New Jersey Boating Safety Certificate |
| New Mexico | yes | no | New Mexico boater education card |
| New York | yes | no | Safe Boating Certificate |
| North Carolina | yes | no | Boating safety certification card |
| North Dakota | yes | no | Boat North Dakota boater education card |
| Ohio | yes | no | Ohio Boater Education Card / certificate |
| Oklahoma | yes | no | Boating safety education card |
| Oregon | yes | not confirmed | Oregon Boater Education Card |
| Pennsylvania | yes | no | Boating Safety Education Certificate |
| Rhode Island | not confirmed | not confirmed | Certificate of boating safety education |
| South Carolina | yes | no | South Carolina boating safety certificate |
| Tennessee | yes | not confirmed | Boating Safety Certification of Completion (wallet card) |
| Texas | yes | not confirmed | Boater Education Certificate |
| Utah | not confirmed | not confirmed | Boating safety certificate (PWC youth course); from 2027 also proof of the annual watercraft operator safety course |
| Vermont | yes | no | Certificate of boating safety education |
| Virginia | yes | not confirmed | Boating safety education card (Virginia Lifetime Boater's Card available) |
| Washington | not confirmed | no | Washington State Boater Education Card |
| West Virginia | yes | no | Boater education card (certificate of boating safety education) |
| Wisconsin | yes | no | Boating safety certificate |
How an online course works
An approved online course is split into chapters, each with a short quiz, and ends with a final exam. You can usually stop and come back; some states set a minimum time spent in the course. At the end you get a certificate of completion, and the provider reports your result to the state, which issues the card or tells you how to apply for it. The course content follows the national standard: the boat and its equipment, the Navigation Rules, lights, sound signals, buoys, emergencies and the state's own law.
Where the exam is supervised
Alabama, Connecticut and New Jersey require more than an online quiz: the final exam is taken in person, at a classroom session or a set location, or under supervision. The state page explains the arrangement. The mini-tool gives the name of the credential in a state; in some states the "card" is in fact a certificate, a permit or a class on the driver license.
What is the credential called in your state?
Alabama credential
Vessel operator license (class V)
| Issued by | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (Marine Patrol Division) |
| Valid for | not confirmed |
| Required for | All operators |
Free and online
The BoatUS Foundation course is free and online. Where the state approves it, it is the cheapest way to the card; where it is not approved, an approved paid course is needed. The free course page shows the status in every state.
Before you pay for a course
Check first whether you need the card: being born before your state's cut-off date, or running a motor below its power threshold, means no course is required. The check gives the answer from your birth date, then the practice test helps you pass the exam on the first try.