Maryland Boating License: Courses, Age Rules, and Exemptions

Maryland does not issue a boating license in the traditional sense. Instead, anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 must earn a Boating Safety Education Certificate before operating a motorized recreational vessel on state waters.¹ The certificate is earned once and never expires. You carry it on the water the same way a driver carries a license on the road.

Who Needs the Certificate

The rule follows the operator, not the owner. If you were born on or after July 1, 1972 and you take the helm of a vessel equipped with mechanical propulsion (including an auxiliary motor on a sailboat) that is used primarily in Maryland, you need the certificate.² It doesn’t matter whose boat it is. If your friend owns it and you’re steering, the certificate requirement is on you.

People born before July 1, 1972 are not required to carry the certificate, though the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages them to take a course. Getting caught without the certificate when you need one carries a prepayable fine of $25 for a first offense and $500 for a second.³ Keep the physical card or a legible digital copy on you whenever you operate.

Three Ways to Earn It

DNR recognizes three paths. All three produce the same permanent certificate, so the choice comes down to how you prefer to learn.⁴

Classroom Course

The Maryland Basic Boating Course runs a minimum of eight hours and is taught by trained instructors, often through the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons. You must attend every session and score at least 80% on the final exam. Classes meet at locations around the state, and some providers charge a small fee for materials. DNR occasionally offers a virtual version over Zoom.

Online Course

Several NASBLA-approved online providers deliver the same curriculum at your own pace. When you pass the online exam, the provider sends your completion data to DNR. Check that the certificate carries the NASBLA designation, because Maryland will not accept a course without it.⁴ Some providers charge only for the physical card; others bundle fees. Costs vary.

Equivalency Exam

If you already know boats and just need the credential, pick up a “Boat Maryland” textbook from a DNR testing location, study on your own, and schedule the Maryland Basic Boating Equivalency Examination. It’s 65 multiple-choice questions, and you need 80% to pass. One catch: fail twice and you have to complete the full classroom course before you can test again.⁴ Exam sites are located in Baltimore, St. Mary’s, Washington, and Worcester counties, by appointment only.

Age Rules

Maryland sets no single minimum age for operating a motorized boat, but operators under 16 who don’t hold the certificate must be directly supervised. On a motorized vessel 11 feet or longer, the supervisor has to be either born before July 1, 1972 or at least 18 and holding a valid certificate. On vessels under 11 feet, any certificate holder can supervise.

Personal watercraft are a hard exception. No one under 16 may operate a jet ski, WaveRunner, or similar craft in Maryland, even with a certificate and adult supervision.⁵ Everyone on a PWC must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while underway, and inflatables don’t qualify. PWC operation is also prohibited between sunset and sunrise and during periods of reduced visibility.

Exemptions

The certificate requirement doesn’t apply in a few situations:¹

Commercial operators are exempt, in recognition of the separate licensing commercial mariners already hold.
Non-residents 16 or older can operate in Maryland waters for up to 60 days using a boating safety certificate from their home state, provided the vessel is numbered in that state.⁶
Renters born on or after July 1, 1972 can operate a rented motorized vessel (other than a PWC) under a 10-day temporary certificate issued by the rental company after they read a required safety information sheet. That temporary certificate covers only the rental, not any boat you own.⁷

Getting, Carrying, and Replacing the Card

After you pass, online providers typically issue a temporary digital certificate immediately so you can get on the water while the permanent card is in the mail. The physical card goes to the address you provided during registration. It never expires.⁴

Lose the card and the replacement route depends on how you earned it. For classroom and virtual courses, submit a request through the DNR website; there’s no charge, and a replacement arrives by email in roughly two weeks.⁸ For online courses, DNR can’t help. You’ll need to contact your original provider for a duplicate.

Registering the Boat and Paying the Excise Tax

The certificate is about you. The boat has its own paperwork. Any vessel with mechanical propulsion used primarily in Maryland must be registered. The fee is $70 regardless of length or horsepower, and the decal is good for two calendar years.² U.S. Coast Guard-documented vessels pay the same $70 for a documented decal.

When you buy a boat, Maryland charges a vessel excise tax of 5% of the purchase price, with a $5 minimum and a $16,000 maximum.⁹ The tax is due within 30 days of the point your Maryland tax liability begins. Pay late and you owe a 10% penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest.²

Boating Under the Influence

Maryland’s BUI statute tracks its drunk driving law in structure. Operating a vessel with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher is a misdemeanor under Natural Resources Code § 8-738, and penalties climb with each conviction:¹⁰

First offense: up to $1,000 in fines, up to one year in jail, or both.
Second offense: up to $2,000 in fines, up to two years in jail, or both.
Third or subsequent offense: up to $3,000 in fines, up to three years in jail, or both.

A lesser charge of operating while impaired by alcohol carries up to $500 in fines and two months in jail on a first conviction. By operating on Maryland waters, you’ve already consented to chemical testing under implied consent. Refusing a breathalyzer or blood test when an officer suspects impairment can cost you boating privileges for up to one year. A court can suspend privileges for up to two years following a BUI conviction, or up to five years if someone dies.¹⁰

Reckless Operation

Operating a vessel in a reckless or dangerous manner is a separate misdemeanor. A first conviction carries up to 30 days in jail and a fine between $25 and $200. A second or subsequent conviction raises the ceiling to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.¹¹ A reckless charge can stack on a BUI, so a single bad afternoon can produce two misdemeanor convictions on the same record.

1
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Natural Resources 8-712.2 – Boating Safety Education
2
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Boat Registration
3
District Court of Maryland. Fine or Penalty Deposit Schedule for Natural Resources Laws
4
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 3 Ways to Get a Maryland Safe Boating Certificate
5
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Personal Watercraft Safety Brochure
6
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland State Boating Regulations
7
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. State Requirements for Recreational Vessels
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Replacement Card Request
9
Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 08.04.10.02 – Taxable Value of Vessels
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Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Natural Resources 8-738 – Operating Vessel Under the Influence or While Impaired
11
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Natural Resources 8-738.2 – Operation of Vessel in Reckless or Dangerous Manner