Arkansas does not issue a traditional boating license, but if you were born on or after January 1, 1986, you must earn a Boating Safety Education Certificate before you operate a motorboat or personal watercraft on state waters.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-101-501 – Program of Boater Training and Boater Safety – Boater Education Certificate You carry the certificate on the water the way you carry a driver’s license in a car, you only have to earn it once, and it never expires. There are a few other legal boxes to check too, mostly around registration, insurance, and age.
Who Needs the Certificate
The rule turns on your birth date. Born on or after January 1, 1986, and you need to complete an approved boating safety course, pass the exam, and carry proof whenever you’re at the controls of a motorboat or personal watercraft.2Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Boater Education3Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. 03.17 – Boater Education Certificate Requirements Born before that date, and you’re exempt from the education requirement entirely.
Visiting from another state? Arkansas honors any boater education card issued through a course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), so if your home state’s certificate meets that standard, you don’t need to take another course here.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-101-501 – Program of Boater Training and Boater Safety – Boater Education Certificate The reciprocity runs the other way too.
Age Rules for Operators
Having the certificate doesn’t by itself let anyone drive. Arkansas layers minimum ages on top, and the rules are tighter for personal watercraft than for motorboats.
Motorboats
To run a motorboat with an engine of 10 horsepower or more, you must be at least 12. Operators aged 12 to 15 need a person at least 18 on board, directly supervising.4Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Boater Education – Section: Age Requirements for Operating a Boat
Personal Watercraft
No one under 16 can operate a personal watercraft alone. Riders 12 to 15 may operate one if someone at least 18 is aboard and able to take immediate control. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult at least 21.4Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Boater Education – Section: Age Requirements for Operating a Boat In every supervised scenario, the supervising adult must either have been born before 1986 or hold a valid boater education certificate.
How to Earn the Certificate
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission runs the program and approves specific courses.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-101-501 – Program of Boater Training and Boater Safety – Boater Education Certificate You have two routes.
In-person classes taught by AGFC staff and volunteer instructors are free. They run roughly 10 hours, usually split across a few weeknights or packed into one Saturday, and include hands-on demonstrations.2Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Boater Education
Online courses from AGFC-approved providers let you work at your own pace and cost roughly $35 to $60. The AGFC education page lists the current approved providers and prices.2Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Boater Education
Both end with a final exam. After you pass, you can print a temporary certificate to carry right away, and the permanent card arrives by mail, typically within a few weeks.5Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Online Test Available for Boating Education Because the course is NASBLA-approved, the card is good in every state that recognizes NASBLA certificates.
Registration and Insurance
Any boat propelled by a motor or sail has to be registered with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, and the owner has 30 days after purchase to apply.6Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Boat Registration Vessels without a motor or sail, boats documented by the U.S. Coast Guard, and out-of-state boats visiting for 90 or fewer consecutive days are exempt.
Fees run by length:
- Under 16 feet: $7.50
- 16 to under 26 feet: $15.00
- 26 to under 40 feet: $51.00
- 40 feet and over: $105.00
You’ll need proof of ownership, proof your county assessor has assessed the boat, proof that personal property taxes are paid, and the hull identification number for verification.6Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Boat Registration
Liability Insurance
Arkansas requires liability insurance on all personal watercraft and on any motorboat with an engine over 50 horsepower. The policy must provide at least $50,000 in liability coverage per occurrence and be issued by an insurer authorized to do business in Arkansas.6Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Motor Boat Registration Jet ski owners are the ones most often caught off guard by this.
Operating without the required insurance brings a mandatory fine of $50 to $250 for a first offense, $250 to $500 for a second, and $500 to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both for a third or subsequent offense. If an uninsured vessel is in an accident, the owner faces a Class A misdemeanor charge.7Justia. Arkansas Code 27-101-207 – Liability Insurance Required
Life Jackets and On-Board Equipment
Every child 12 or younger must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while the boat is underway. The only exception is a child inside an enclosed cabin on a houseboat or cruiser, or within a railed area on a party barge, when the vessel is not moving. Failing to keep kids properly jacketed carries a fine of $100 to $250.8US Coast Guard Boating. Life Jackets – State Boating Laws Adults don’t have to wear one but must have an accessible jacket for every person on board.
Vessels 26 feet or longer must carry a Coast Guard-approved, charged fire extinguisher. Smaller motorboats also need one if they have permanently installed fuel tanks, enclosed compartments where fuel could be stored, enclosed living spaces, or a double bottom not sealed to the hull.9Justia. Arkansas Code 27-101-203 – Equipment Requirements In practice, almost any boat with an inboard engine or built-in fuel tank needs one.
Boating Under the Influence
Arkansas treats boating while intoxicated the same as drunk driving. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08%, dropping to 0.02% for anyone under 21, and a violation is an unclassified misdemeanor.10Justia. Arkansas Code 5-65-303 – Driving or Boating Under the Influence Game wardens and marine patrol officers enforce it actively on lakes, especially on holiday weekends, and federal penalties for operating under the influence on navigable waters can reach $5,000 and up to a year of imprisonment.
What Happens if You Operate Without a Certificate
If the law requires you to carry a certificate and you don’t, you can be cited and fined. Arkansas makes it unlawful for anyone born after 1985 to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft without a valid certificate on them.3Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. 03.17 – Boater Education Certificate Requirements Officers can ask to see it at any stop or safety inspection, and leaving it at home counts the same as not having one.
A citation can end your day on the water, repeat violations feed into the AGFC’s point system for boating infractions, and operating without proper credentials can hurt your position if you end up in an accident, something insurers look at closely when evaluating claims.