So as most know and all should know as of January 1st 2018 you will need a CA boat card. However here are the points of it. California Boater Card FAQ....


Q: When will operators be required to have a Boater Card?
A: The new requirement will begin on Jan. 1, 2018 for all persons 20 years of age and younger who operate a
recreational motorized vessel on state waterways. On that date these boaters will be required to carry a boater
card issued by DBW, unless they meet certain exemptions stated below.*
Each year after January 2018, a new age group will be added to those who are required to possess a valid
card. By 2025, all persons who operate a motorized recreational vessel on California waters will be required to
have one. Once issued, the card remains valid for a boat operator’s lifetime. California Harbors and Navigation
Code Section 678.11(b) contains the following phase-in schedule based on operator age:
• January 1, 2018 Persons 20 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2019 Persons 25 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2020 Persons 35 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2021 Persons 40 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2022 Persons 45 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2023 Persons 50 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2024 Persons 60 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2025 All persons regardless of age
*California age restrictions for operating a motorized vessel: According to California Harbors and Navigation Code Section 658.5,
NO person under 16 years of age may operate a boat with a motor of more than 15 horsepower, except for a sailboat that does
not exceed 30 feet in length or a dinghy used directly between a moored boat and the shore (or between two moored boats). The
law allows children 12-15 years of age to operate boats with a motor of more than 15 horsepower or sailboats over 30 feet if
supervised on board by an adult at least 18 years of age. Violating these provisions constitutes and infraction.


Q: Who will be exempt from needing a Boater Card?
A: According to California law the following persons will not be required to have a boater card to operate
a motorized recreational vessel on California waterways when the requirements go into effect beginning in
January 2018:
• A person operating a rental vessel.
• A person operating a vessel while under the direct supervision of a person 18 years of age or older who
is in possession of a California Boater Card.
• A person who is a resident of a state other than California who is temporarily operating a vessel in
California for less than 60 days and meets the boating requirements, if any, of his/her state.
• A person who is a resident of a country other than the United States who is temporarily operating a
vessel in California for less than 90 days and meets the boating requirements, if any, of his/her country.
• A person operating a vessel in an organized regatta or vessel race, or water ski race.
• A person who is in possession of a current commercial fishing license.
• A person who is in possession of a valid marine operator license, for the waters upon which the licensee
is operating, issued by the US Coast Guard, or who is in possession of a valid certificate issued pursuant
to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers,
1978, as amended.
• A person who has successfully completed a boating course approved by the Commission on Peace
Officer Standards and Training.


Q: Is there a fine for violating the requirement to carry a California
Boater Card?
A: Yes. A violation of this article (Harbors and Navigation Code Section 678.15) is an infraction. According to
the person convicted of an infraction for a violation of this article shall be fined as follows:
• For an initial conviction, by a fine of not more than $100.
• For a second conviction, by a fine of not more than $250.
• For a third or subsequent conviction, by a fine of not more $500.
• A fine imposed on a vessel operator pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be waived, if the vessel operator
provides proof that he or she had a valid vessel operator card at the time of the citation.
• In addition to the fines imposed by subdivision (b), the court shall order a person convicted of violating
this article to complete and pass a boating safety course approved by the division pursuant to Section
668.3.
• If a person who is ordered to complete and pass a boating safety course pursuant to paragraph (1) is 18
years of age or younger, the court may require that person to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian
to enroll in that course.
• A person who has been ordered by a court to complete a boating safety course pursuant to paragraph
(1) shall submit to the court proof of completion and passage of the course within seven months of
the date of his or her conviction. The proof shall be in a form that has been approved by the division
and that is capable of being submitted to the court or a state or local agency approved by the division
through the US Postal Service or another certified means of transmission.


Q: What courses will be approved to offer Boater Card exams,
and how will I find them?
A: Boating safety course providers must be NASBLA approved and be state-approved by DBW. Courses
may be classroom, home study or online. The current list of approved courses can be found online at
http://www.CaliforniaBoaterCard.com.
Q: How much time will it take to complete an approved boating
safety course including the exam?
A: Approved online courses run a minimum of three hours to complete. Classroom and home study courses
vary in length, with most classes no more than eight hours.
Q: Am I pre-qualified for a Boater Card if I have already taken a
boater education course or will take one before 2018?
A: DBW has determined that it will accept proof of passing a National Association of State Boating Law
Administration (NASBLA) and California Division of Boating and Waterways approved-boater education course
taken between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2017. Persons who have passed an approved examination during
this timeframe will have six months from the effective January 1, 2018 implementation date to apply for their
California Boater Card to receive the “grandfathering” exemption regardless of their age. Older courses may
not include recent state or national changes to navigation law.

Q: What is a California Boater Card?
A: The California Boater Card will show that its holder has successfully taken and passed a NASBLA/state-
approved boater safety education examination. Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, California is phasing in by age the
requirement that residents who operate a motorized recreational vessel on state waterways will be required to
carry the California Boater Card. The card will be issued by the California State Parks Division of Boating and
Waterways (DBW).
Q: Where did the idea of a California Boater Card come from?
A: Legislative bills requiring some form of boating education in the state have been authored over the years. On
Sept. 18, 2014, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed into law Senate Bill 941, which prohibits the operation
of motorized vessels in California without a valid Boater Card developed and issued by DBW.
Q: What are the benefits of taking a boater safety course?
A: Not only is mandatory education the law, the California Boater Card Program promotes boating safety on our
waterways. U. S. Coast Guard accident data show that states with some form of boating safety education have
fewer accidents and fatalities than states without any boater education requirements. In 2015, 724 California
recreational vessels were involved in reported accidents and 49 boaters died. More than 232 boaters were
injured in severity beyond first aid treatment. Only one of the boat operators involved in fatal accidents had
taken an approved boating safety course. Increased numbers of boaters taking approved safety courses will
benefit all California recreational boaters.
Q: When can I apply for my California Boater Card and what will
it cost?
A: DBW plans to begin issuing the California Boater Cards prior to Jan. 1, 2018, implementation date. The
Boater Card Technical Advisory Group anticipates that the cost of the card will be no more than $10. The lost
card replacement fee will be no more than $5.

Q: What courses will be approved to offer Boater Card exams,
and how will I find them?
A: Boating safety course providers must be NASBLA approved and be state-approved by DBW. Courses
may be classroom, home study or online. The current list of approved courses can be found online at
http://www.CaliforniaBoaterCard.com.
Q: How much time will it take to complete an approved boating
safety course including the exam?
A: Approved online courses run a minimum of three hours to complete. Classroom and home study courses
vary in length, with most classes no more than eight hours.
Q: Am I pre-qualified for a Boater Card if I have already taken a
boater education course or will take one before 2018?
A: DBW has determined that it will accept proof of passing a National Association of State Boating Law
Administration (NASBLA) and California Division of Boating and Waterways approved-boater education course
taken between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2017. Persons who have passed an approved examination during
this timeframe will have six months from the effective January 1, 2018 implementation date to apply for their
California Boater Card to receive the “grandfathering” exemption regardless of their age. Older courses may
not include recent state or national changes to navigation law.

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