SACRAMENTO—Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor recreation has been on the rise and boaters are escaping to local waterways to cool off. Before hitting the water, be a prepared boater: only boat with family members who reside in your home and learn the boating rules of the water by taking a safe boating course and obtaining a California Boater Card. The California Boater Card is verification that its holder has successfully taken and passed an approved boating safety course.
As of January 1, 2021, boaters 40 and younger will be required to carry a California Boater Card to operate a motorized vessel. The program is being phased in by age to give boaters ample time to obtain their card. By 2025, all operators of motorized vessels on California waters will be required to carry a California Boater Card.
The cost of the lifetime California Boater Card is $10. No profit is made from the card, as the money goes toward program implementation and management.
California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) maintains the list of approved safe boating courses, which includes classroom, online and home study options. Applying for the California Boater Card is an easy, two-step process: pass...
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