You operate a personal watercraft and are at least 14 years of age. Anyone may operate a personal watercraft if someone at least 18 years old is on the craft and they hold a safety certificate.

The required boating safety certificate must be carried by the minor at all times while operating the boat. An approved course of instruction includes at least 8-hours of classroom training and a proctored exam. Students must be at least 10 years old to take the course.

New York State will require all motorized boaters to take a safe boating course and earn their safe boating certificate by 2025.

All About Boats: choosing the right boat, classification, how to measure length, basic hull designs recreational, runabouts, cruisers, personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks, sailboats and motor types.

Legal Requirements: How to register a boat or PWC (jetski), validation stickers, hull ID numbers, titling and registering a boat or PWC, required boating safety equipment, life jackets, fire extinguishers, whistles and horns, visual distress signals, light requirements.

Navigation Rules: Basic safety regulations, pollution regulations, oil discharge, minimum education and age requirements for operators, water skiing regulations, navigation rules, U.S. aid to navigation system, lateral aids, regulatory markers.

Getting Underway: Preparation, loading, boarding, homeland security, how to file a float plan, safe boat operation, knots, anchoring, emergency repairs, maintenance, trailering, towing, launching and retrieving.

Accidents: Capsizing, falls overboard, collisions, running aground, emergencies, floating for survival, treading water, using clothes to float, BUI, visual distress signals, accident reporting, fire prevention, first aid.

Special Topics: Weather and water conditions, navigation, using a compass, nautical charts, watersports, diving, water skiing, sailing, personal watercraft (jet ski) operation.

• Accidents & Emergencies
• Boat Operation
• Boating Related Activities
• Boats & Motors
• Equipment
• Fueling & Ventilation
• Marine Environment
• Navigation
• Numbering & Registration
• Personal Watercraft
• Rules of the Road
• Safe Loading & Powering

Yes. Because the New York Boating Course is NASBLA approved it is accepted in other states and Canada.

Visit ILostMyCard.com to “Find Your New York Boat Safety Certification Record.”

OR

You may request a replacement certificate by going to: Application for a replacement NY Safe Boating Certificate.
or writing:

NYS Parks
Att: Boating Safety
Empire State Plaza, Bldg 1.
Albany, NY 12238

If you are under the age of 18 there is no charge for the replacement certificate. If you are over the age of 18 you must include a check for $10, made payable to “NYS Parks”. If you lost your temporary certificate you must wait until your permanent certificate is issued. Temporary certificates cannot be replaced.

After completing the program your instructor should have given you two sheets; a white temporary certificate that you should carry while waiting for your permanent certificate and a yellow copy as well. The yellow copy should be sent to State Parks along with your $10 fee for processing your permanent certificate. State Parks cannot issue a permanent certificate to you until we receive the yellow copy and your fee. If you are less than 18 years old, your instructor should have only given you the white temporary certificate. The instructor is responsible for mailing the yellow copies for those students under the age of 18 to State Parks. In all cases, the permanent certificate will be issued by State Parks. 

There may be several reasons. Processing the vast number of certificates received is a very time consuming process, and most permanent certificates take at least 60 days for processing. If you are over the age of 18, ensure that you have sent in the yellow copy of your temporary certificate and the required $10 fee. Checks are cashed at the time the permanent certificate is issued.

Yes, provided you still have a copy of your original certificate and you were under the age of 18 at the time. Records do not exist for courses taught prior to the early 1990’s.

Yes, Anyone completing the New York Safe Boating Course may opt to have their driver’s license indicate completion of the course. A small anchor icon will be placed on your drivers license attesting that you have earned a New York State Boating Safety Certificate. You may request an anchor icon by completing the following form: Click Here