Boating

Boating Safety Education

Taking a boating safety class can save your life: 4 of 5 people who die in boating accidents on Wisconsin's waters every year haven't had such formal training. Gain the safe boating techniques and knowledge that can keep you safe on the water.

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Wisconsin Boaters

ATTENTION

New Requirement: All Recreational Safety Students must now provide a DNR Customer ID Number to your instructor before completing any safety class. Get your number by calling DNR's Customer Service at 1-888-936-7463 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. or visit a DNR Service Centers.

If you were born on or after January 1, 1989, you're required to complete a boating safety course to legally operate a motorized boat or personal watercraft (PWC). Anyone is eligible to take a boating safety class and receive a safety education completion certificate, although the certificate is not valid for a child until he or she is 12 years old.

Learn why the DNR recommends all boaters take a course, whether it's required or not:

Safe Boating Depends on You [VIDEO Length 1:33] - One of seven chapters in a new "Safe Boating Depends on You" video distributed in the Natural Resources magazine June issue and online at that time.

Choose From Three Convenient Options

Taking a boater safety education course is easy when you have three great options to choose from.

Classroom Instruction: Direct classroom instruction from our corps of expert volunteer instructors. This minimum 8-hour course is offered at many different times and places across Wisconsin. It costs $10. Check for Upcoming Courses
Online Instruction: Boat Ed -- This updated course offers interactive instruction for all learning styles. The 3-hour course is split into super-short segments that are designed for easy comprehension and quick learning. Log out and the course "remembers" where you left off, so you can jump right back in after a few hours or days. This course has the identical text that students study in DNR's classroom courses, colorfully illustrated with more than 200 realistic drawings, more than an hour of streaming videos, and interactive animations . The cost is $29.50, paid only after you pass. Customer support is available 16 hours a day, 7 days a week via email or a toll-free number..; Boater Exam -- This new course is suitable for boaters of any age and reading skills because students can choose to hear the material as well as see it. The course features many eye-catching animations and the ability for students to "bookmark" where they are, making it easier to return to complete the course at a later time. This course costs $29.99 and takes a minimum of three hours to complete.