Washington Online Boating Safety Course and Exam

Adventures in Boating - Washington is an official NASBLA and state-approved boat safety course developed specifically for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. This safe boating course lets you get your Washington Boater Education Card online so that you can comply with Washington boating safety law.

	1 - This boat safety course is user-friendly and self-directed. Study at your own pace!
	2 - Take an official Washington boating safety Certification Exam. Pay $29.50—one time only, after you pass.
	3 - When you pass, you may instantly print out a Washington Certificate of Course Completion, which qualifies you to apply for your lifetime Washington Boater Education Card.

The Boat Ed Advantage

• Recognized leader in boating safety—Boat Ed is the official and exclusive provider of print, video or online boating safety courses for 49 states, plus the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
• Boat insurance savings—Even if you aren't required to get your boating license, passing may help you save on boat and PWC insurance!

Need More Information?

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
P.O. Box 42650
Olympia, WA 98504-2650
360-902-8555

If you'd like, you can share the learning experience with other interested students and a qualified instructor in a classroom. To find a classroom course near you, call 1-800-336-BOAT (2628).

Washington's Mandatory Safety Education Program

Washington's boater education law will eventually require all Washington recreational motorboat operators to carry a Boater Education Card, which shows that they have completed a basic boater education course. This applies to operators 12 years of age and older operating any type of vessel powered by 15 horsepower or more.

The law is being phased in by operator age over several years as shown on the phase-in schedule. In 2011, all persons who are 12 to 35 years of age and who have not passed a boating safety education course previously must take an approved course and pass the course exam before they can operate a boat legally.

• Boaters may take a classroom, online, or home-study course.
• Experienced boaters may choose to take an equivalency exam without taking a course. This exam is for those boaters who have a good working knowledge of the U. S. Coast Guard's navigation rules and Washington's laws and regulations for recreational boats.

After passing the exam, the operator applies for a Boater Education Card.

• The card is issued by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
• Persons required to have a Boater Education Card must carry it on board whenever the vessel is operated.
• Unlike a driver's license which must be renewed, a Boater Education Card never expires.

To learn more about the boater education law, who is exempt from the education requirement, which courses are approved, and the equivalency exam, contact the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission by:

• Calling 360-902-8844
• Visiting www.parks.wa.gov/boating/boatered/
• E-mailing boating@parks.wa.gov