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Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Who May Operate a Vessel

To operate a vessel powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater (including PWCs), a person who was born on or after January 1, 1988, must have completed a boater education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) or passed an approved equivalency exam.

• Operators who are required to have completed a boating education course or exam must carry on board:
  • His or her Boating Safety Education ID Card issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and ...
  • A photographic identification card.
• These operators are exempt from the boater education requirement:
  • Persons licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as a master of a vessel
  • Persons operating on a private lake or pond
  • Operators who are accompanied on board by a person who is exempt from the education requirement or by a person who is at least 18 years old, possesses the required identification cards, and is attendant to the operation of the vessel and responsible for any violation that occurs
  • Persons operating a vessel within 90 days after purchase who have a bill of sale on board and available for inspection

No one under 14 years of age may operate any PWC on Florida waters at any time, even if such person possesses a Boating Safety Education ID Card.

No one under the age of 18 years may rent/lease a PWC.

It is also illegal for the owner of a PWC to knowingly allow a person under 14 years of age to operate a PWC.

Boating Safety Education ID Card: Operators required to have a Boating Safety Education ID Card must carry it and a photographic identification card on board.

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