State pages
Michigan boating license: two cut-off dates and youth limits
Michigan has one date for motorboats and an older one for personal watercraft, plus horsepower limits for children. Enter a birth date and boat to see what applies.
Michigan · Motorboat
No card needed
You were born before the cut-off date.
| Your age that day | 30 yrs |
| Minimum age to operate alone | 12 yrs |
| Credential | Boating safety certificate (boater education card) |
| State fee | none published |
| Free BoatUS course | not accepted |
| Cheapest legal route | –course price set by each approved provider |
Anyone born on or after July 1, 1996 needs a boating safety certificate to run a motorboat over 6 hp; for a PWC the certificate is needed by anyone born after Dec. 31, 1978.
Official page: Michigan Department of Natural Resources · Read on October 24, 2026
Michigan's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires a boating safety certificate, also called a boater education card, from anyone born on or after July 1, 1996 who operates a motorboat with a motor of more than 6 hp. For a personal watercraft the cut-off is older: everyone born after December 31, 1978 needs the certificate, so a jet ski rider in their forties may need it while the same person can drive a motorboat without one. Boats of 6 hp or less are outside the rule. The youth limits are among the strictest: a child under 12 may run up to 6 hp freely, over 6 and up to 35 hp only with a certificate and a supervisor aged 16 or more on board, and never more than 35 hp. On a PWC, nobody under 14 may operate; ages 14 and 15 need the certificate and a parent, guardian or designated adult of 21 or more on board or on a PWC within 100 feet; from 16, a certificate holder may ride alone. Approved courses may be taken online at your own pace, and the free BoatUS Foundation course is not accepted in Michigan, which means an approved paid or classroom course is needed.
Jet ski: age and card
Operate a PWC alone at 16, Michigan
Yes
| Minimum age | 14 yrs |
| Card rule covers PWC | Yes |
| Required for | Born on or after July 1, 1996 |
PWC: no one under 14; ages 14-15 need a certificate plus a parent, guardian or designated adult 21+ on board or operating a PWC within 100 ft; independent operation from 16 with a certificate.
State rules read and practice questions written by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How each state is checked
Michigan facts: read on the official pages on October 24, 2026.
Two cut-offs, one certificate
- Motorboat over 6 hp: born on or after July 1, 1996.
- Personal watercraft: born after December 31, 1978.
The same certificate covers both. Because the check reads the type of boat, enter "PWC" to see the older cut-off apply. The mini-tool answers for a jet ski rider of a given age.
Jet ski: age and card
Operate a PWC alone at 15, Michigan
Yes
| Minimum age | 14 yrs |
| Card rule covers PWC | Yes |
| Required for | Born on or after July 1, 1996 |
PWC: no one under 14; ages 14-15 need a certificate plus a parent, guardian or designated adult 21+ on board or operating a PWC within 100 ft; independent operation from 16 with a certificate.
Children and horsepower
| Age | Motorboat | Personal watercraft |
|---|---|---|
| Under 12 | Up to 6 hp freely; over 6 to 35 hp with a certificate and a supervisor 16+ on board; never over 35 hp | Not allowed |
| 12 to 13 | Over 6 hp with a certificate | Not allowed |
| 14 to 15 | Over 6 hp with a certificate | Certificate plus an adult 21+ on board or within 100 ft |
| 16 and over | Certificate if born on or after July 1, 1996 | Alone with a certificate |
Getting the certificate
The DNR approves classroom courses and online courses studied at your own pace. The free BoatUS course is not accepted in Michigan (its Michigan page). The DNR pages read do not publish a state card fee, shown as not confirmed; course providers may charge. A lost certificate is reprinted online through the DNR eLicense system.
Michigan beside its neighbors
| Michigan | Ohio | Wisconsin | Indiana | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who needs it | Born on or after July 1, 1996 | Born on or after January 1, 1982 | Born on or after January 1, 1989 | All operators |
| PWC alone from | 14 years | 16 years | 12 years | not confirmed |
| Free BoatUS course | not accepted | accepted | not accepted | accepted |
On the Great Lakes, Michigan waters meet Ohio in Lake Erie and Wisconsin in Lake Michigan. The rule of the state whose water you are on applies; a certificate from an approved course is the simplest way to be covered on both sides.
On the water
Great Lakes boating also means federal equipment rules: wearable life jackets for each person, a throwable device on boats of 16 feet or more and visual distress signals, which 33 CFR part 175 requires on the Great Lakes as on coastal waters. The practice test covers them. Facts on this page were read on the Michigan DNR pages on October 24, 2026; this site is not affiliated with the DNR.