Mandatory Education Requirement

Any person born after January 1, 1998, must have completed a boating education course approved by the DNR before he or she may legally operate a motorized vessel, including a personal watercraft (PWC), on Georgia state waters.

A person is exempt from the mandatory education requirement if he or she:

• Is licensed by the USCG as a master of a vessel or…
• Operates on a private lake or pond or…
• Is a non-resident who has proof that he or she has completed a NASBLA–approved boating education course or equivalency examination in another state.