Approved by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.mn.us
Study the free online course material. After completing the course, you'll take the Minnesota boating course final exam. (If you don't pass on the first try, don't worry. Keep taking the exam for free until you pass.)
Other Course Options: Take Minnesota's free home study course or take a boating class led by a qualified instructor.
After passing and paying the $20.00 course fee, you'll instantly print out a temporary certificate, which is your temporary operating permit to operate legally on Minnesota waters while you wait for your permanent card to arrive.
Your lifetime MN Watercraft Operator's Permit will arrive by mail in 2-3 weeks. (Use your temporary certificate to get on the water immediately after passing the course and until your permanent card arrives.)
Ready? Start the Course Today →The Boat Minnesota Course features easy to understand boating safety instructions and hundreds of detailed illustrations to help you improve your boating skills and become a better, more prepared skipper.
This online boating safety course is based on the About Boating Safely manual that was developed and printed by Boat Ed specifically for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary who teach boating safety courses in Minnesota and all other states.
This is the same course that is used by over 70% of U.S. boaters earning boater education certification.
Boat Ed is the only boating safety course provider that develops print materials on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Learning in this Boat Minnesota Course is reinforced by the use of interactive animations that help students understand safe boating skills such as casting off and docking, understanding traffic laws on the water, dealing with emergencies, and more.
Sample course instructional animation "Tying Knots"
Sample course instructional animation "Personal Watercraft Overtaking"
To help you improve your boating skills and to prepare you for the final exam, the course is broken down into 6 easy-to-understand units that you can complete at your own pace:
As you progress through the course, you'll be given the opportunity to demonstrate how well you're understanding the boater safety topics by taking a quiz at the end of each of the 6 units.
You'll need to score 80% or greater on the unit quiz before moving on to the next unit.
If you don't pass a unit quiz, that's no problem. You'll just go back and study the unit again until you're ready to pass.
After completing all units, you'll have the choice to proceed directly to the online boating license Certification Exam or you may first take a practice exam.
Both the practice exam and the final exam cover all the course material and will assess your knowledge of boating safely on Minnesota waters.
You must score 80% or greater on the final exam to pass. If you fail the final exam, there is no penalty. You can retake the exam as many times as you like until you pass.
Illustration from Unit 2 – Getting Out on the Water
Illustration from Unit 5 – Boating Emergencies
Illustration from Unit 6 – Enjoying Water Sports
This online boater education course is approved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard as an approved online boating safety course.
Minnesota law enforcement officers patrol the waterways to make your boating experience safe and pleasant. Cooperate with them by following the Minnesota boating laws and guidelines in this course.
With this boater course, you'll be on the water with a temporary boater education certificate in a few hours, and you can complete the online course at your own pace on a desktop computer or on any mobile smartphone or tablet.
This boat safety course is proudly made in Dallas, Texas, USA, and our servers and data storage facilities are located within the U.S.A. Recreational boating is truly one of America's favorite pastimes and a freedom we all should continue to enjoy.
Minnesota Boating Guide - A Summary of Laws and Rules, developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
For new and experienced Minnesota boaters Get the Handbook →
