If you were born on or after July 1, 1972 and you operate a numbered or documented motorized vessel on Maryland waters, you generally need a Maryland Certificate of Boating Safety Education in 2026-2027. Maryland does not usually charge a separate annual operator “license” fee for recreational boaters; the key credential is the boating safety…
Do you need a boating license in Maine in 2026-2027? Not exactly. Maine does not issue a traditional recreational boating license, but many operators do need a lifetime boating safety education card. If you were born on or after January 1, 1999, you must complete an approved boating safety course to operate a recreational motorboat…
Do You Need a Boating License in Louisiana? Yes — in Louisiana, you need boater education if you were born after January 1, 1984 and operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower. If you operate a personal watercraft, you must be at least 16, and if you were born after January 1, 1984, you also need…
Do you need a boating license in Kentucky in 2026-2027? Usually, no—unless the operator is young. Kentucky does not require a universal adult recreational boating license. Instead, the key rule is age-based: boaters under 12 cannot operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower or a personal watercraft, and residents ages 12-17 generally need a Kentucky Safe…
Do You Need a Boating License in Kansas? If you are boating in Kansas in 2026-2027, you usually do not need a recurring adult recreational boating license. What Kansas requires, in most cases, is a boater education certificate/card for unaccompanied operators ages 12-20 using a motorboat, personal watercraft, or sailboat. Children under 12 cannot operate…
Do You Need a Boating License in Iowa? Usually no if you are 18 or older. Iowa does not require a universal recreational boating license for every adult. What Iowa does require is a watercraft education certificate for operators ages 12 to 17 who run a motorboat over 10 horsepower or a personal watercraft (PWC)…
Indiana does not call it a “boating license,” but the Indiana DNR requires anyone 15 or older who operates a motorized boat or personal watercraft (PWC) without a valid driver’s license to first complete a state-approved boater safety course and carry the printed Indiana Boater Education Card. Hoosiers who already hold a current driver’s license…
Do you need a boating license in Illinois? Yes — but only for specific operators. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1998 must hold an Illinois Boating Safety Certificate to operate a motorized watercraft over 10 horsepower, including personal watercraft (PWC). The certificate is valid for life, costs between $34.95 and $59.95 through IDNR-approved…
Most adults do not need a license to operate a recreational boat in Idaho, but you may still want one. Unlike states with a hard mandate, Idaho treats the boater education card as voluntary for general boating but mandatory for PWC renters and under local county rules in parts of the Panhandle. Quick Facts: Idaho…
No, Hawaii does not issue a traditional “boating license.” What the state requires is a Boater Safety Education Card for anyone operating a motorized vessel over 10 horsepower, plus a separate Thrill Craft Operator Certification for jet skis and PWCs. You must be at least 15 years old to operate any thrill craft in state…