Do I Need a Driver's License to Drive a Boat?

Depending on the state you live in, there are different requirements for driving a boat. If you get caught sailing without a license, you will be fined around $250 to $300.

Some states require you to have a boating license, while others simply ask for your boating education certificate. If you want to know the license requirements based on your state, then take a look at the following chart:

States	Boating Education Required	Boating License Required	Minimum Age	Learning Age Period
Alabama	Yes	Yes	12 Years Old	12 to 14
Alaska	No (But Recommended)	No	N/A	N/A
Arizona	No (But Recommended)	No	N/A	N/A
Arkansas	Yes	Yes	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1986)	N/A
California	Yes	California Boater Card	N/A	N/A
Colorado	During Learning Period	No	16 Years Old	14 to 15
Connecticut	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
Delaware	Yes	Yes	16 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1978)	14 to 16
Florida	Yes	Yes	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1988)	N/A
Georgia	During Learning Period	No	16 Years Old	12 to 15
Hawaii	Yes	Yes	15 Years Old	N/A
Idaho	Only PWC	No	N/A	N/A
Illinois	Learning Age Only	No	10 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1998)	10 to 18
Indiana	No	No	15 Years Old	15
Iowa	Learning Age Only	No	12 Years Old	12 to 17
Kansas	Younger Than 21	No	12 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1989)	12 to 20
Kentucky	Yes	Kentucky Safe Boating Certificate Card	12 Years Old	12 to 17
Louisiana	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1984)	Younger Than 16
Maine	Yes	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 16
Maryland	Yes	N/A	16 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st July 1972)	N/A
Massachusetts	Yes	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 16
Michigan	Younger Than 21	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 15
Minnesota	Learning Age	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 17
Mississippi	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 30^th June 1980)	N/A
Missouri	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1984)	N/A
Montana	Learning Age	N/A	N/A	13 to 14
Nebraska	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1986)	14 to 18
Nevada	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1983)	N/A
New Hampshire	Yes	N/A	16 Years Old	N/A
New Jersey	Yes	Yes	16 Years Old	16 o 18
New Mexico	Yes	Yes	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1989)	Under 13
New York	Yes	Yes	10 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st May 1996)	10 to 14
North Carolina	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1988)	14 to 16
North Dakota	Yes	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 15
Ohio	Yes	N/A	12 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1982)	12 to 16
Oklahoma	Learning Age	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 16
Oregon	Yes	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 16
Pennsylvania	Yes	N/A	11 Year Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1982)	11 to 16
Rhode Island	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1986)	N/A
South Carolina	Learning Age	N/A	N/A	Younger Than 16
South Dakota	Learning Age	N/A	12 Years Old	12 to 14
Tennessee	Yes	N/A	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1989)	Younger Than 12
Texas	Yes	Yes	N/A (DOB Limit – 1^st September 1993)	Younger Than 13
Utah	Learning Period	Yes	12 Years Old	16 to 17
Vermont	Yes	No	10 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1974)	10 to 12
Virginia	Learning Period	No	14 Years Old	14 to 15
Washington	Learning Period	No	12 Years Old	12 to 20
West Virginia	Yes	No	12 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1987)	12 to 14
Wisconsin	Yes	No	16 Years Old (DOB Limit – 1^st January 1989)	N/A
Wyoming	No	No	N/A	Younger Than 16

If you are looking for a quality floating dock, visit the EZ Dock Texas website. The company offers different types of docks, as well as docking accessories. To request a quote, email them here. For more information, call at (800) 654-8168.

Do I Need a Driver’s License to Drive a Boat?

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