The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission changed the guidelines for distance learning. So, the old Boat Pennsylvania boating license course and test was discontinued on July 1, 2008.

• Take the NEW Boat Pennsylvania Online Course!
• Or, you can order the Boat Pennsylvania Video Course

The course material below remains as a resource for all who boat on Pennsylvania's waters—particularly experienced boaters who need a refresher, but not a boater's license.

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
A Special Message to the Boaters of Pennsylvania

From babbling brooks to the wide-open expanses of Lake Erie—and everything in between—there’s water everywhere in our great state. There are more than 83,000 miles of streams and rivers in Pennsylvania, along with 4,000 inland lakes and ponds covering 160,000 acres. Don’t forget to throw in 470,000 acres of Lake Erie. In other words, Pennsylvania has the perfect waterway for you and your boat.

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s mission is to provide fishing and boating opportunities through the protection and management of aquatic resources. We couldn’t do it without the owners of the more than 350,000 registered boats here in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is unlike most government agencies because we do not receive general fund state tax money. Instead, we rely on the revenue from the sale of boat registrations and fishing licenses.

The money from your boat registration purchase comes right back to you through the programs that make your time on the water worthwhile. The Commission uses your registration dollars to provide for water quality protection, construction and manintenance of access areas, safety education programs, and law enforcement.

We want you to enjoy your time on the water. Nothing ruins a good time faster than a boating accident. So stay alert, operate responsibly, and most importantly, wear your life jacket. “It floats—you don’t.” To learn more about safe boating, visit our website or call our toll-free boating course line at 1-888-PA-FISH-1.

Douglas J. Austen, Ph. D
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission

If you need a replacement for your permanent Pennsylvania Boating Safety Education Certificate, go to http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/dupboatcert.pdf to download a PDF form to order a duplicate certificate. (In lieu of the term boating license, Pennsylvania refers to its mandatory proof of education as the Boating Safety Education Certificate.)