Last Updated 24th of May, 2010

Am I required to take a IL boating safety course? Illinois

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Illinois Boat Safety and Boat License Requirements

A boater education card and a boaters license are one and the same, so if you read or hear you need an Illinois boaters license to operate a boat, it means you must complete a state-approved boating safety course. Your course completion certificate, or boater education card, will serve as proof of meeting this requirement.

Though enrolling in a boating safety course is recommended for all boaters, it is only required for wannabe skippers, who are at least 12 years old but younger than 18, looking to operate motorized boats, including personal watercraft (jet ski).  

To comply, you must enroll in a course sanctioned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IL DNR). Illinois Boating Education Courses fall into this category. You can find course availability on the DNR's website.

These boaters safety classes, which are taught by a variety of sponsors (U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Power Squadron, civic groups), consist of eight hours of classroom training. The curriculum focuses on boater safety, addressing topics like navigation lights, buoys and markers, docking, the importance of float plans, weather dangers, life jackets, the risks of alcohol and more.

Be sure, before enrolling in a boater safety course, regardless if it's classroom or online, that it meets DNR approval. Any boater education card from a non-sanctioned program will not be recognized by the DNR.

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