Home › Compare by education tier › Required for some operators: States in This Tier
Required for some operators: States in This Tier
Required for some operators
The "Required for some operators" tier represents a middle ground in boater-education mandates across the United States. In jurisdictions within this tier, a boater-education card is mandatory only for specific subsets of the boating population rather than all operators. The requirement typically applies to operators born in a particular year or within a certain age range, those piloting personal watercraft, vessels exceeding a designated horsepower threshold, or combinations of these criteria. This approach allows states to target education requirements toward operators perceived as higher risk while permitting experienced boaters who obtained licenses before cutoff dates to operate without formal certification.
Twenty-five states currently fall within this tier: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin. The specific age cutoffs, horsepower thresholds, and vessel types subject to certification requirements vary significantly from state to state. Boaters should confirm their state's current regulations directly through the official state agency responsible for boating safety, as rules change periodically and enforcement requirements differ by jurisdiction.
| State | Who needs it | Min operating age | Credential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | born on or after January 1, 1986 | motorboat 10+ hp: 12 (or any age under direct supervision of someone 18+); PWC: 16 (12-15 with direct supervision of 18+; under 12 with 21+) | AGFC-approved (NASBLA-approved) Boating Education Course certificate; valid for life |
| Colorado | none (age-based, not birth-year based) | 18+ no requirement; 14-17 may operate only with a CPW-approved boating-safety certificate; under 14 may not operate (effective June 1, 2024) | CPW-approved (NASBLA-approved) boating-safety course certificate, required only for operators 14-17 |
| Delaware | born on or after January 1, 1978 | PWC operators must be at least 14 (14-15 need an adult aboard; 16+ with a certificate may operate a PWC unsupervised) | Delaware Boating Safety Education Certificate (NASBLA-approved course; valid for life) |
| Florida | born on or after January 1, 1988 (operating a vessel with a motor of 10 hp or more) | at least 14 to operate a personal watercraft; at least 18 to rent a PWC | Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card (NASBLA-approved course; card does not expire) |
| Georgia | born on or after January 1, 1998 (operating any motorized vessel) | under 12 only with a competent adult on a vessel under 16 ft with motor 30 hp or less; 12-15 only if course-certified OR accompanied by a competent adult; 16+ unrestricted with ID | DNR-approved (NASBLA-approved) boater education course; proof carried as a card or as a boating endorsement on a Georgia driver's license/ID (DDS) |
| Illinois | none (age-based): operators 12-17 must hold a valid boating-safety certificate | 10 (motorboat over 10 hp / PWC, with on-board supervision ages 10-11; under 10 may not operate); same for PWC | IDNR-approved Boating Safety Certificate (valid for life) |
| Indiana verify | none (by age/license status): operators of a motorboat over 10 hp must hold a driver's license OR be 15+ with an approved course + BMV-issued ID card | 15 (motorboat over 10 hp / PWC, with boater education + BMV ID if no driver's license; under 15 may not operate motorboat over 10 hp or PWC) | DNR-approved Boater Education Course completion with an Indiana BMV-issued ID card (valid for life) |
| Iowa | none (age-based): operators 12-17 operating a motorboat/PWC over 10 hp without a responsible adult 18+ aboard; no requirement for 18+ | 12 to operate a motorboat/PWC over 10 hp unaccompanied (with education); under 12 only if accompanied aboard by a responsible person 18+ | Iowa DNR-approved (NASBLA-approved) boater education certificate |
| Kentucky | none (age-based): operators ages 12-17; adults 18+ exempt | 12 to operate a motorboat or PWC over 10 hp (under 12 prohibited on vessels over 10 hp) | Kentucky Safe Boating Certificate Card (or any NASBLA-approved course certificate) |
| Maine | born on or after January 1, 1999 (PWC of any size; motorboats over 25 hp) | PWC: 16; motorboat over 25 hp (if born on/after Jan 1 1999): 12 with completed course; under 12 may not operate over 10 hp unless immediately supervised by someone 16+ who completed the course | Maine boater safety and education course certificate (MDIFW-approved) |
| Minnesota | phasing in: born after Jun 30 2004 (effective Jul 1 2025); fully phased to all born after Jun 30 1987 by Jul 1 2028 | motorboat: under 12 may operate <75 hp only with an accompanying operator (none under 12 over 75 hp); PWC: no one under 13; 13-17 needs a permit unless a person 21+ is aboard | Minnesota Watercraft Operator's Permit (good for life) |
| Missouri | born after January 1, 1984 | 14 (motorboat) unless accompanied by an adult aboard; same for PWC | Missouri Boater Identification/Certification Card (NASBLA- and MSHP-approved course) |
| Montana | none (age-based): ages 13-14 operating a motorboat/PWC over 10 hp unattended; not required for 15+ or when accompanied by someone 18+ | 13 (motorboat/PWC over 10 hp) if certified or accompanied by an 18+ adult; 12 and under only with an 18+ adult aboard | Montana Motorboat Operator's Safety Certificate (NASBLA-approved course) |
| Nevada verify | born on or after January 1, 1983 (motorboat over 15 hp on interstate waters); PWC operators must complete education regardless of birth year | 14 for PWC; motorboat minimum age verify | Nevada Boater Education Card (NDOW-approved / NASBLA course); does not expire |
| New Hampshire | none (hp-based): all operators age 16+ of a motorboat over 25 hp | 16 to operate a motorboat over 25 hp (with certificate); no statewide minimum for boats 25 hp or under | New Hampshire Safe Boater Education Certificate (lifetime, NASBLA-approved) |
| New Mexico | born on or after January 1, 1989 | 13 to operate without onboard adult supervision (under 13 requires an adult aboard); same for motorboat and PWC | New Mexico Boater Education Card (NASBLA-approved 'Boat New Mexico' course) |
| North Carolina | born on or after January 1, 1988 (applies to a motor of 10 hp or greater) | no statutory minimum for a motorboat; PWC: 16 unrestricted, 14-15 only with an adult 18+ aboard or certificate + ID (none under 14) | boating-safety education certificate from a NASBLA-approved course (or proctored equivalency exam, or USCG operator license) |
| North Dakota | none (age-based): only operators ages 12-15 operating alone a motorboat/PWC over 10 hp; 16+ exempt | 12 (under 12 may operate motorboat/PWC over 10 hp only if accompanied by a person 18+); same for PWC | Boat North Dakota course completion / boater education card (Department-approved course) |
| Ohio | born on or after January 1, 1982 (operating a vessel powered by more than 10 hp) | under 12 may not operate a vessel over 10 hp except under direct supervision of someone 18+; PWC: none under 16 except ages 12-15 with a person 18+ aboard | certificate of completion of a NASBLA-approved boating course or an ODNR-approved proficiency exam |
| Oklahoma | none (age-based): only operators ages 12-15 must hold the certificate; 16+ exempt | under 12 may not operate a motorboat over 10 hp, a PWC, or a sailboat 16 ft+; 12-15 only with a certificate OR an adult 18+ aboard; 16+ unrestricted | Oklahoma Boating Safety Education Certificate (course meeting NASBLA minimum standards) |
| Oregon | none (hp-based): operators of a motorboat/PWC greater than 10 hp must hold a Boater Education Card | 12 (motorboat over 10 hp, with supervision until 16); under 12 may not operate; PWC: 16+ to operate independently; liveries may not rent a PWC to anyone under 18 | Oregon Boater Education Card |
| Pennsylvania | born on or after January 1, 1982 (motorboats over 25 hp); ALL PWC operators required regardless of birth date | motorboat: none 11 or younger may operate a boat over 25 hp; PWC: effective min 12; 12-15 may not carry passengers 15 or younger; none under 16 may operate a rented PWC | Boating Safety Education Certificate (issued by PFBC; lifetime validity) |
| Rhode Island | born after January 1, 1986 (vessels with a motor greater than 10 hp); AND all PWC operators regardless of age/birth year | motorboat: none under 12 unless supervised by a competent person 18+; 12-15 alone only with a certificate; PWC: under-16 operators only if they hold an RI certificate | Rhode Island Boating Safety Certificate (state- and NASBLA-approved course, min 8 hrs, or the RI Boating Safety Challenge Exam at 70%+) |
| South Carolina verify | born after July 1, 2007 (effective 08/18/2023) to operate a boat/PWC powered by 10 hp or more | no statewide minimum; 16+ may operate any recreational boat/PWC unrestricted; under-16 operators of a 15 hp+ motor must complete an approved course or be supervised by an adult 18+ | South Carolina Boater Education Card (SCDNR-administered or any NASBLA-approved course; lifetime validity) |
| Tennessee | born after January 1, 1989 (operating a vessel over 8.5 hp); exempt if an adult 18+ born before Jan 1 1989 is aboard to take control | under 12 may not operate a motorized vessel unless 8.5 hp or less; PWC rental not to anyone under 16 | TWRA Boating Safety Certificate via the Boating Safety Exam; NASBLA-approved certificate accepted |
| Utah verify | none (age-based): required only for PWC operators ages 12-17 | motorboat: under 16 only with on-board supervision by someone 18+; PWC: 12 min, ages 12-15 require 18+ supervision | Utah Boating Safety Education Certificate (NASBLA-approved course) |
| Wisconsin | born on or after January 1, 1989 | motorboat: under 10 prohibited, 10-15 with restrictions, 16+ unsupervised; PWC: under 12 prohibited, 12+ with certificate, 16+ alone | Wisconsin Boating Safety Certificate (DNR-approved course) or out-of-state equivalent |
Compare all three tiers side by side → · Find your exact state →
Tiers are keyed to each state's published education-requirement rule, cross-referenced against NASBLA and verified June 2026. How we compile this. Confirm each state on its official agency page. Informational only, not legal advice.