Do you have to have a Boating Safety Certificate?
Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels
Do you have to have a Boating Safety Certificate?
I was wondering if you "have" to have a Boating Safety Certificate before you go out with your boat?
chalk wrote:
Florida Statutes 327.395
Effective Date October 1, 1996
Updated 2002.
OVERVIEW
Anyone 21 years of age or younger, is required to either have successfully completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved boating education course or have passed a course equivalency or temporary certificate examination and have in their possession a boating education ID card and a photo identification card before operating a vessel with a motor of 10 HP or more in Florida. Identification cards for persons completing the course or the equivalency exam are good for a life time. Temporary Certificate exams are made available to the public through contractors. The temporary certificate is valid for a period of 12 months from the issue date.
The law does provide for some exemptions to the boating education requirements. The following are exempted from the requirements of boater education:
•Persons licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as a master of a vessel.
•Persons operating on a private lake or pond.
•Persons accompanied in a vessel by a person exempt.
•Persons who are nonresident and have proof of completion of a NASBLA approved course from another state and are visiting the state for 60 days or less in an out-of-state boat.
You can find this info and some additional on the FWC site.
Chalk is correct...for some cases and most likely for you personallyNO.....

Florida Statutes 327.395
Effective Date October 1, 1996
Updated 2002.
OVERVIEW
Anyone 21 years of age or younger, is required to either have successfully completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved boating education course or have passed a course equivalency or temporary certificate examination and have in their possession a boating education ID card and a photo identification card before operating a vessel with a motor of 10 HP or more in Florida. Identification cards for persons completing the course or the equivalency exam are good for a life time. Temporary Certificate exams are made available to the public through contractors. The temporary certificate is valid for a period of 12 months from the issue date.
The law does provide for some exemptions to the boating education requirements. The following are exempted from the requirements of boater education:
•Persons licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as a master of a vessel.
•Persons operating on a private lake or pond.
•Persons accompanied in a vessel by a person exempt.
•Persons who are nonresident and have proof of completion of a NASBLA approved course from another state and are visiting the state for 60 days or less in an out-of-state boat.
You can find this info and some additional on the FWC site.
"Good Judgement" comes from experience, ... and a lot of that..... results from "Bad Judgement".