state regulations

State Requirements• New Jersey, www. njsp.org/maritime/ • New York, www.nysparks.state.ny.us • Connecticut, www. ct.gov/dep• Pennsylvania, www.fishandboat.com• Massachusetts,

www.boat-ed.com/ma/handbook/agency.htm

• Rhode Island, www.dmv.com/ri/rhode-island/all-about/boating-regulations

• New Hampshire, www.nhboateducation.com

• Vermont, www.vsp.vermont.gov• Maine, www.gov/ifw

State Requirements• Subjects

• Age• Boating Education and Licensing • Registration

Education and LicensingNew Jersey

• Age Restrictions for power vessels

• <13 years may not operate a power vessel

• 13 - 15 years low power (<10 hp) with a Boating Safety Certificate(see site for more details}

• =>16 may operate a power vessel including a PWC with a Boating Safety Certificate

njsp.org/maritime/


• Regulations for Tidal Waters• Residents and boaters for more than 90 days

require a NJ State Police Boating Safety Certificate.

• Boating Safety Courses are available through USCGA, USPS and other NJ licensed instructors

• Visitors require a Boating Safety Certificate approved by their home state, USCG, or NASBLA.

njsp.org/maritime/


• Regulations for Non Tidal Waters• Residents require a Boat License from the

MVC. MVC requires NJSP Boating Safety Certificate to issue a Boat License.

• Visitors require written proof of a course similar to a NJ Boating Safety Certificate or approve by USCG, or NASBLA.

• Exceptions: <1 hp, 12 volt electric, vessel => 12’ with a motor <10 hp, an authorized race with a permit, certain private or community lakes, check local regulations

njsp.org/maritime/

Titling, Registration & Documentation - New Jersey

• Registration

• All powered vessels

• NJ Department of Motor Vehicles registers vessels: www.state.nj.us/mvc

• Vessels registered in other states operating for more than 180 consecutive days in NJ

Titling, Registration & Documentation - New Jersey

• Documentation:

• All documented vessels for which the owner maintains, owns, rents, leases or otherwise occupies space within NJ, other than on a transient basis, must be registered with NJ DMV

• Are not required to display registration number

• Shall display registration stickers

njsp.org/maritime/

Education and LicensingNew York

• Age and Education

• 10 - born after May 1 1996 you may operate a motorboat (non-PWC) with a boating safety certificate

• 14 years and older you may operate a PWC with a boating safety certificate

• Born before May 1 1996 a boating safety certificate is not required to operate a motor boat

www.nysparks.state.ny.us

Education and LicensingNew York

• Acceptable courses

• NYS 8 hour course taught by a NY approved instructor. To find a course go to: www.nysparks.state.ny.us

• USCG Auxiliary ABS or BS&S atwww.cgaux.org

• US Power Squadron ABC at wwwusps.org

Titling, Registration & Documentation - New York

• Registrations numbers and validation stickers

• The registration number must be permanently attached to both sides of the vessel’s bow, read from left to right, be 3” block letters and of a color that contrasts with that of the hull.

• Validation stickers are to be affixed to the hull, in line with, and no further than three inches aft of, the registration number.


Titling, Registration & Documentation - New York

• Documentation:

• Documented pleasure vessels must apply for registration and display the appropriate validation stickers. The DMV will not issue a title or a number to a documented vessel.

• Validation sticker should be placed in the same place they would be if there was a registration number.


Education and LicensingConnecticut

• Age to operate a power vessel • <12 only a vessel with < 10 hp

• 12 to any age a power vessel except a PWC

• 16 to any age a PWC

ct.gov/deep


• Education

• To operate a power boat or sail boat =>19.5’ (no motor):• Residents and Property Owners

must have a Ct Safe Boating Certificate

• Anyone using Ct waters for more than 60 days in a year must have a Ct Safe Boating Certificate

ct.gov/deep


• Education PWC

• To operate a Personal Water Craft (PWC) all persons must have a Ct Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operations (CPWO)

• Certificates from some neighboring states are acceptable, contact CT DEEP

ct.gov/deep


• Education continued

• Requirements

• Boat: 8 hour SBC (Safe Boating Certificate) course

• PWC: 8 hour combined SBC and CPWO (Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation) course

• A 2 1/2 hour PWC course will provide a temporary CPWO

• SBC plus 2.5 hour PWC class room course = CPWO

ct.gov/deep



• Providers

• Community Colleges

• Private Providers

• USCG Auxiliary

• US Power Squadron

ct.gov/dep



• Schedule of classes

• ct.gov/deep

• cgaux.org

• usps.org

ct.gov/dep

Titling, Registration & Documentation - Connecticut

• Registrations

• All power boats and sail boat =>19.5’• Owned by Ct residents or boat in Ct more

than 60 days• Registrations is handled by the Ct DMV

(ct.gov/dmv/)

• Numbers and Validation stickers are issued to the owner

ct.gov/dep


• Registrations continued

• Registration numbers must be placed on the hull near the bow on both sides.

• Validation stickers must be placed two inches to the right of the number.• Starboard side toward the bow• Port side toward the stern

ct.gov/dep


• Documentation

• Documented vessels must be registered if in the state more than 60 days.

• Validation stickers but not numbers are issued and must be affixed to both sides of the bow.

ct.gov/dep

Education and LicensingPennsylvania

• Age for operating a power boat

• 0 - 25 hp: no restrictions

• > 25 hp: 12 years of age

• PWC: 12 - 15 years of age may NOT operate with passengers 15 years of age or younger on board or rent a PWC

• PWC: 16www.fishandboat.com

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/


• Boating Safety Education Certificates

• 0 - 25 hp: No certificate required

• > 25 hp: Persons born after January 1 1982 must have a boating safety certificate

• PWC: All operators must have a boating safety certificate

www.fishandboat.com



• Boating Safety Education Certificates

• Pennsylvania residents must have a permanent Boating Safety Education Certificates issued by the PA Fish & Boat Commission

• Out of state boaters must have a certificate issued for a course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

www.fishandboat.com


• Classroom Courses

• Pa Fish & Boat Commission• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary• U.S. Power Squadrons• Other approved organizations

• Class finder• www.fishandboat.com


www.fishandboat.com




• Distance Learning

• Boat Pennsylvania Internet Boating Course information is available from www.fishandboat.com

• Pennsylvania Video-Correspondence Course, call 1-888-723-4741

www.fishandboat.com

Titling, Registration & Documentation - Pennsylvania

• Registration

• Boats propelled by machinery and electric motors must be numbered, regardless of length and type of motor

• Documented boats must be registered

• Unpowered boats may be registered

• Renewal cycle is every two years

www.fishandboat.com


Titling, Registration & Documentation - Pennsylvania

• Numbering

• Forward half of the vessel

• Read left to right

• Registration decal 6” before or aft of the number

• Documented and low-volume boats (kayaks) do not have to display number but must display registration decals

www.fishandboat.com


Education and Licensing Massachusetts

• Age for operating a power boat• 12 - 15 years with Boating Education Course no restrictions• =>16 No requirements

• PWC requirements• <16 may not operate a PWC• 16 - 17 with State approved Boating Education Course• 18 and older no reqirements

www.boat-ed.com/ma/handbook/pwc.htm

•Classroom Courses

•Massachusetts Boating and RV Bureau •U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary•U.S. Power Squadrons•Other approved organizations

•Class finder•www.mass.gov/dfwele/dle/courselist.htm

Education and LicensingMassachusetts


Titling, Registration & Documentation - Massachusetts

•Registration is required for all boats except

•Boats without any kind of motor (unpowered canoes sailboats or kayaks

•Boats registered in another state and using Ma waters less than 60 consecutive days

•Boats documented with the US Coast Guard


Education and Licensing Rhode Island

•All Rhode Island residents born after 1/1/1986 must have a Boater Safety Education Certificate (BSEC)

•PWC: BSEC is required for all operators•Less than 13 you must have a BSEC on board and be supervised by an adult over 18

www.dmv.com/ri/rhode-island/all-about/boating-regulations

Education and Licensing Rhode Island

•Boater Safety Education Certificate Cont’

•Exceptions•Vessels =>10 hp•USCG Commercial Operators License•Non residents who meet the requirements of boaters in their respective states


•Classroom Courses•U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary•U.S. Power Squadron•Community College of Rhode Island•Other NASBLA approved courses

•On line courses are acceptable•Boat Ed, US Coast Guard, BoatWise, Boat US Foundation•On line courses may not be acceptable in other states

Education and LicensingRhode Island


Titling, Registration & Documentation - Rhode Island

•Registration is required for all powered by machinery, gasoline, diesel, electric

•Exceptions•Rowboats less than 12 feet•Non-motorized canoes sailboats or kayaks•Boats registered in another state and using RI waters less than 90 consecutive days


Titling, Registration & Documentation - Rhode Island

Numbering• Be affixed on both sides of the bow• Be block letters, three inches high and

contrasting with the color of your boat• Letters must be separated from the

numbers by a space or a hyphen.• Registration decals are placed after the

number separated by a space• Port side aft of the number• Starboard side forward of the number


Education and LicensingNew Hampshire

• Age and certificte requirement for operating a power boat• 0 - 25 hp: no restrictions• > 25 hp: 16 years of age with a Boating

Safety Education Certificates• PWC: 16 with a Boating Safety Education

Certificates• Born before January 1 1982 no BSEC

required


• Boating Safety Education Certificates• Boating certificate issued by another state

and NASBLA approved• USCG Auxiliary boating safety certificate• USPS boating safety certificate• USCG unexpired commercial boating license• NH unexpired commercial boating license

Education and LicensingVermont

• Age for operating a power boat

• < 12 years boats =< 6 hp

• => 12 years operate a power boat except a PWC with a Boating Safety Education Certificates

• PWC: 16 with a Boating Safety Education Certificates

Education and LicensingVermont

• Education• Over the Internet: Complete study course @

www.boat-ed.com/vermont• In a classroom: The Vermont State Police

can help you find a course @ www.vsp.vermont.gov or 802-878-7111 x 2211

• Not a residents of Vermont and have proof that they passed an approved boater education course in another state.

http://www.boat-ed.com/vermont

http://www.vsp.vermont.gov/


• Age for operating a power boat• =< 25 hp does not have any restrictions • Vessel > 25 hp => 16 yrs with a SBEC.• < 16 years boats only if accompanied by a

person => 18 with a SBEC• PWC => 16 yrs with a Safe Boater

Education Certificate (SBEC)


• NH Safe Boating Education Certificate.• Log on to www.nhboatingeducation.com • Take the on line course• Print the On Line Exam Results Slip

• After two business dates phone 888-254-2125 to find in-person examination at one of numerous locations

http://www.nhboatingeducation.com/


• New Hampshire also accepts:• A boating certificate issued by another State

agency and NASBLA approved.• A boating certificate issued by the US Power

Squadron.• A boating certificate issued by the US Coast

Guard Auxiliary.• An unexpired commercial boating license

issued by the US Coast Guard.• An unexpired commercial boating license

issued by the State of New Hampshire.

Registration New Hampshire

• All motor boats including electric must be registered and carry a validation sticker

• Sailing vessels >12’ including boats and boards must be registered

• Other small vessels, canoes, kayaks without motors are exempt

• Boats registered in other states using NH 30 or more consecutive days must be registered

Education and LicensingMaine

• Age restrictions for operating a power boat• <12 yrs, >10 hp only if supervised by a

person at least 16 years • PWC: No one under 16 yrs may operate a

PWC. 16 and 17 yrs must have an approved Boating Safety Certificate and proof of age or be accompanied by a person => 18

• =>18 no requirements

Questions

state regulations

Documents

registration number

nj boating safety certificate

boating safety courses

registration stickersnjsp

documented vessels

power vessels education

nj dmv

documented pleasure