The card: rules, age, cost
How to get a boating license in four steps
First the check: do you need it at all, and for which boat. Then the course, the exam and the card. The tool starts with the first step for your state.
Ohio · Motorboat
Yes, you need the card
You were born on or after the cut-off date.
| Your age that day | 30 yrs |
| Minimum age to operate alone | 12 yrs |
| Credential | Ohio Boater Education Card / certificate |
| State fee | none published |
| Free BoatUS course | accepted |
| Cheapest legal route | Free coursestate fee not published |
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1982 needs proof of boater education (approved course or state proficiency exam) to run a boat over 10 hp, PWC included.
Official page: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft · Read on October 24, 2026
Getting a boating license takes four steps, and the first one often ends the process: check whether your state requires a card for your age and your boat, because many people born before their state's cut-off date, or running a small motor, need none. If you do, take a course approved by your state: in 32 of the 46 verified states with a requirement, the free online course of the BoatUS Foundation is approved, and elsewhere the state agency lists approved online or classroom courses. Third, pass the course's final exam, online in most states and in person or under a proctor in Alabama, Connecticut and New Jersey. Fourth, get the card: in some states the provider reports the result and the state mails the card, in others you apply to the agency, and 7 states charge a fee for it. Keep the course certificate on board until the card arrives where the state accepts it as temporary proof. The check above does step one; the mini-tool names the credential and who issues it.
What is the credential called in your state?
Ohio credential
Ohio Boater Education Card / certificate
| Issued by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft |
| Valid for | not confirmed |
| Required for | Born on or after January 1, 1982 |
State rules read and practice questions written by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How each state is checked
Step 1: check that you need it
The answer depends on your state, your date of birth, your boat and its engine, and for some states the date of the outing. The tool above runs this check. If the answer is no, you are done: no course, no fee. You still follow the federal rules on equipment and navigation that apply to every boater.
Step 2: choose an approved course
Only a course approved by your state leads to its card. Three kinds exist: free online (the BoatUS Foundation course, approved in 32 states), paid online from approved providers, and classroom courses given by state agencies or volunteer organizations. The course page shows which formats each state accepts, and the free course page where the free one counts.
Step 3: pass the exam
The exam covers the federal Navigation Rules, lights, sound signals, buoys, required equipment and your state's law. Most courses let you retake it. The practice test uses the same topics, and the explanation after each answer gives the rule.
Step 4: get the card
Depending on the state, the card is mailed after the course reports your result, or you apply to the agency, sometimes paying a fee. The mini-tool names the credential in your state and who issues it.
What is the credential called in your state?
Texas credential
Boater Education Certificate
| Issued by | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| Valid for | not confirmed |
| Required for | Born on or after September 1, 1993 |
The four steps across the verified states
| State | Required for | Free course | Exam supervised | State fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | All operators | not available | yes | $41.25 |
| Arkansas | Born on or after January 1, 1986 | not available | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| California | All operators | accepted | not confirmed | $10 |
| Colorado | Up to age 17 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Connecticut | All operators | not accepted | yes | $50 |
| Delaware | Born on or after January 1, 1978 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| District of Columbia | All operators | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Florida | Born on or after January 1, 1988 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Georgia | Born on or after January 1, 1998 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Hawaii | All operators | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Illinois | Born on or after January 1, 1998 | not accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Indiana | All operators | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Iowa | Up to age 17 | accepted | not confirmed | $5 |
| Kansas | Born on or after January 1, 1989 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Kentucky | Up to age 17 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Louisiana | Born on or after January 2, 1984 | accepted | not confirmed | $0 |
| Maine | Born on or after January 1, 1999 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Maryland | Born on or after July 1, 1972 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Massachusetts | Born on or after January 2, 1989 | not accepted | no | $0 |
| Michigan | Born on or after July 1, 1996 | not accepted | no | not confirmed |
| Minnesota | Born on or after July 1, 2000 | not accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Mississippi | Born on or after July 1, 1980 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| Missouri | Born on or after January 2, 1984 | not accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Montana | Up to age 14 | accepted | no | $0 |
| Nebraska | Born on or after January 1, 1986 | not accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Nevada | Born on or after January 1, 1983 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| New Hampshire | By age band | not accepted | no | not confirmed |
| New Jersey | All operators | not accepted | yes | not confirmed |
| New Mexico | Born on or after January 1, 1989 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| New York | All operators | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| North Carolina | Born on or after January 1, 1988 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| North Dakota | Up to age 15 | accepted | no | $0 |
| Ohio | Born on or after January 1, 1982 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| Oklahoma | Up to age 15 | accepted | no | $0 |
| Oregon | All operators | accepted | not confirmed | $20 |
| Pennsylvania | Born on or after January 1, 1982 | accepted | no | $10 |
| Rhode Island | Born on or after January 1, 1986 | not accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| South Carolina | Born on or after July 2, 2007 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| Tennessee | Born on or after January 2, 1989 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Texas | Born on or after September 1, 1993 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Utah | Up to age 17 | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Vermont | Born on or after January 2, 1974 | not accepted | no | not confirmed |
| Virginia | All operators | accepted | not confirmed | not confirmed |
| Washington | Born on or after January 1, 1955 | accepted | no | $10 |
| West Virginia | Born on or after December 31, 1986 | accepted | no | not confirmed |
| Wisconsin | Born on or after January 1, 1989 | not accepted | no | not confirmed |
After you have it
Carry the card with a photo ID when you operate. It is valid in other states for visitors in almost every case, and it does not need renewing where the state says it is valid for life. Keep a photo of it: replacing a lost card goes through the agency or the provider that reported your course.