For more information on the boating laws in the state of Maryland visit: www.dnr.state.md.us/boating
- The Maryland Boating Safety Education Law requires that any person born on, or after July 1, 1972, must have in their possession a certificate of boating safety education while operating a numbered or documented vessel on Maryland waters.
- An official Maryland boating safety education certificate may be obtained by completing and approved boating safety course or passing an equivalent exam. The Natural Resources Police, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons all offer an approved course.
- All certificates must be obtained by taking an approved course and exam. The BoatU.S. online course does not meet this requirement, and is not recognized by the Maryland DNR as proof of education.
A certificate of boating safety education is not required if:
- A person 16 years of age or older is a resident of another state, visiting Maryland for 60 days or less, in a vessel numbered in another state.
- A person is visiting the State for 90 days or less in a vessel from a foreign country.
- A person is operating a vessel on a body of water located on private property.
- A vessel is operated for commercial purposes.
A boating safety education certificate issued by another state is valid in Maryland as long as it meets the criteria of the National Association of the Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). The certificate of Boating Safety Education issued by the Maryland DNR is valid for a lifetime and may not be revoked.
- Visit www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/ for more information
- The BoatU.S. Online Boating Safety Course does not meet this state’s boating education requirements.
Maryland’s Boating Safety Education Law is designed to assure that the younger generations of boaters have fundamental knowledge of boating rules and safety and, eventually, all boaters will be operating their boats with a basic level of boating education.
We provide this information as a service and strive to keep this website up to date. Please let us know of any inconsistencies by bringing them to our attention at once at onlinecourse@boatus.com. Resources for these pages include state statutes, state web pages and state approved boating guides. BoatU.S. is not responsible for any misinterpretation of the law or any change in the law that is not adequately reflected in these pages. Damages as a result of failing to abide by stated law shall not be the responsibility of BoatU.S., BoatU.S. Foundation or its employees.
