Missouri Boating License Overview

Boat Missouri is the official authorized NASBLA and state-approved boating safety course developed by Boat Ed for the Missouri State Water Patrol. Taking this safe boating course will allow you to get your Missouri boating license online.

• Study at your own pace
• Instant completion results
• Print a temporary Missouri Boating Safety Certification Card online

Who Needs a Missouri Boating Safety Certification Card?

• All persons born after January 1, 1984, must have successfully completed a boating safety education course to legally operate vessel (this includes personal watercraft) on Missouri lakes.

Mandatory Boater Education

Beginning January 1, 2005, every person born after January 1, 1984, who operates a vessel on Missouri lakes shall possess, on the vessel, a boating safety identification card issued by the Missouri State Water Patrol (along with a valid photo ID). If you fall into the required age range and are a resident of Missouri, you will need to obtain a Missouri certification card. If you are a resident of Missouri but do not fall into the age range, you are not required to have the Missouri card. Remember, a vessel is every motorboat and motorized watercraft including a personal watercraft.

Any person convicted of Boating While Intoxicated, Reckless and Negligent Operation, Failing to Stop on Signal of Water Patrol, or Leaving the Scene of a Vessel Accident shall enroll in and successfully complete, at his or her own expense, a boating safety education course. They must then file with the court proof of successful completion of such course and submit a certified copy to the Missouri State Water Patrol. The convicted person cannot operate a vessel until such filing is made.

What's the difference between a boating license and a boating safety education certificate?

What it's called depends on your state, but it represents the same thing—proof of completion of an approved boater education course. Most boaters don't know the exact name of the official certification for their state, so they commonly refer to it as a boating license.