Frequently Asked Questions
Our crew is pretty knowledgeable and we truly believe there are no "dumb" questions. If your question isn't answered below, don’t hestitate to ask… we’re here to help. Call or Text us at 800-810-3446.
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Currently, Safe2Boat is approved by the state of California & Nevada by the NASBLA under the California Harbors and Navigation Code Section 668.3. This course qualifies as a 3 Hour Boating Education Course.
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By 2025, all motorized vessel operators will be required to complete an approved boating safety course and apply for a Boater Card. The phase in schedule for California is below:
- January 1, 2024 – Persons 60 years of age or younger
- January 1, 2025 – All persons regardless of age
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Yes, you can take our course at anytime day/night from any device with internet access. This means desktops, laptops, phones and IPAD type devices. Our course works on everything.
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Yes, our entire website is secure. We’re required to be secure and safe by the DBW. You can verify our website is secure by looking for the “Lock” symbol in the address url bar window in upper left hand corner of page or simply look for the "https" in the address bar.
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We offer one All Inclusive low price of $27.95 for every state we are approved in and this cost has everything needed to obtain your official Boater Card. We offer group and family discounts for additional drivers as needed. Remember, we have a Low Price Guarantee and will match any competitors price offering the same product by crediting the difference back to the original payment method.
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Click the “"Forgot Password" ” button on the login page. We'll email your forgotten password to you right away. If you don’t get an email from us shortly please be sure to check your spam, blocked, or “junk” email. We may be filtered out. Remember, your Username is your Drivers License number.
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You will know course results immediately. Our course has quizzes after each chapter and one final exam of 60 questions. You have as many attempts as needed to pass quizzes and final exam. You must score 80% or higher to pass the final exam. Don't worry, everyone passes. It's easy!
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The Boater Card shows that its holder has successfully taken an approved boating safety course and passed the corresponding exam.
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We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. You can pay online with a credit card or ATM/Debit card. Paying by phone is an option with one of our live California based phone support agents Mon – Fri 8:00am – 5:00pm PST. If you'd like to go old school, we also accept cashiers checks or money orders.
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A person under the age of 16 may not operate a motorboat of more than 15 horsepower unless the boat is a sailboat and does not exceed 30 feet in length - OR - the boat is a dinghy and is operated between a moored boat and shore, or to go between two moored boats. The California law does allow anyone aged 12-15 to operate motorboats of more than 15 horsepower, or sailboats over 30 feet, if they supervised by a person on board who is at least 18 years of age. PWC Operation: A person under the age of 16 may not operate a PWC of more than 15 horsepower unless that person is between the ages of 12 and 15, and is directly supervised by a person on board who is at least 18 years of age. Anyone who allows an unsupervised person under the age of 16 to operate is guilty of an offense.
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As of the dates shown below, these boaters will be required to carry a boater card issued by NASBLA, unless they meet certain exemptions.
California Harbors and Navigation Code Section 678.11(b) contains the following phase-in schedule based on operator age:
- 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
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Yes! You can start and stop the course as many times as you’d like. Our course automatically saves your progress.
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- 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 boating license.
- 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 -
In the unlikely event that you do not pass our final exam, which of course you have multiple times to retake the exam if necessary, we would be more than happy to refund your payment in the method that you originally paid. Remember that you have multiple chances to read the material and take the final exam if necessary.
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This course meets the requirements for a 3 hour NASBLA licensed course.
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To replace a lost or damaged Boater Card, please visit the California Boater Card website. The cost of a replacement card will be $5. For Nevada, simply log back into your account and re-print your offical boater card.
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Our course meets NASBLA's minimum course length requirement and is broken into 6 chapters. All NASBLA online courses are required to be a certain length. Don’t be fooled by boater courses with fewer chapters! It’s a gimmick to fool you.
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Yes, the Boater Card will be required for everyone wishing to operate a motorized vessel, including jet skis and PWC, on California & Nevada waters (except those listed in the exemptions).
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The Boating Card is often called a “boat license”. The Boating Card is mandatory for boating since January 1, 2018. Unlike a license, the Boater Card does not expire and does not need to be renewed.
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Yes! All states with NASBLA-approved boater education requirements will accept the California Boater Card.
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Online courses are required to Auto E-File exam results directly to DBW. Our system ties your exam results to a DBW Application ID # for seamless processing of your Boater Card. You must have an Application ID # before taking the final exam to help this process. Go to the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways website to apply for an Application ID Number. You’ll need to enter your Application ID into our system prior to taking the final exam and completing the course.
For which states is Safe2Boat.com currently approved to provide boating Licenses for? Have Questions?
Contact our live Legendary Customer Support Team based on the West Coast. We are here to help!
Phone or Text Support:
800-810-3446
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm PST
