Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement

Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement

Boating safety education compliance requirement established in 2007

Phased-in through 2016

Applies to operators of:• All boats with motors of 10hp and greater• Personal Watercraft (PWC)

10 Year Boat Incident Summary

Year Number of Number of Number of Amount of Incidents Injuries Fatalities Property Damage 2003 125 85 21 $1,054,410.00 2004 150 98 20 $1,209,015.00 2005 134 89 14 $1,857,792.00 2006 136 92 23 $1,151,958.00 2007 146 107 13 $1,001,170.00 2008 95 65 17 $387,668.00 2009 136 91 25 $907,900.00 2010 105 79 15 $1,898,499.00 2011 120 97 21 $1,226,360.00 2012 95 62 14 $476,584.00

2003 – 2012 Incident Statistics

Motorboats with a motor of 10 horsepower or greater Sailboats do not have to meet the requirement unless the sailboat has a motor that is 10hp or greater (whether or not the engine is running) Personal watercraft (PWC) Canoes, kayaks, rowboats, or other manually propelled boats do not have to meet the requirement

Who . . . Specifically

Motorboats less than 16 feet in length, powered by jet pumps vice propellers, where the persons stand, kneel, or sit on, rather than inside the boat.

Commonly known as• Ski-Doo® (Bombardier) • Waverunner® (Yamaha)• JET SKI® (Kawasaki)

Age Restriction: • No person under the age of 14 may operate a PWC. • Operators 14 and 15 MUST show proof of completing an approved and accepted boating

safety course • The challenge exam or other provisions of the Education Compliance Requirement do not

meet the requirements of the age restriction law.

PWC Definition

Over 250,000 registered motorboats • Includes about 30,000 personal watercraft

Help manage risk involved in boating

Over 700 recreational boating accidents with nearly 100 fatalities (2007 – 2011)

Why Does Virginia Need This Law?

Motorboat Operators shall meet requirements by:• 45 years old or younger 1July14• 50 years old or younger 1July15• All motorboat operators 1July16

PWC* Operators shall meet requirements by :• 14 or 15 years old if they have successfully completed an approved

boating education safety course• All PWC operators 1July12

*PWC: Motorboats less than 16 feet in length, powered by jet pumps vice propellers, where the persons stand, kneel, or sit on, rather than inside the boat.

Virginia Boating Safety Education RequirementCompletion Schedule

Pass an equivalency/challenge exam Possess or possessed a license to operate a vessel issued by the USCG Possess a marine certificate or a Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator's Card issued by the

Canadian government Possess a temporary operator's certificate as indicated on new boat registration Possess a rental or lease agreement and training documentation Operate a motorboat with onboard direct supervision by compliant person Operate a boat not registered in Virginia, temporarily using the waters of Virginia for a

period not to exceed 90 days, and meets any applicable boating safety education requirements of the state of residency

Assumed operation of motorboat due to illness or physical impairment of initial operator, and returning motorboat to shore in order to provide assistance or care for the operator Was once registered as a commercial fisherman pursuant to the Code of Virginia or under the onboard direct supervision of the commercial fisherman while operating the commercial fisherman‘s boat.

Exceptions to Education Requirements

All public waters of the Commonwealth • River systems (both fresh and tidal water)• Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay • Waters up to 3 miles off the Virginia coast • Virginia portion of any lake shared with an adjoining state• Most of the lakes wholly located in Virginia

o Some lakes in Virginia are not public (e.g. Lake Caroline and Lake Monticello) and the requirements do not apply on those lakes.

o Check with private lake authorities

The law does not apply to private lakes and ponds on personal property.

Where Do Requirements Apply?

Complete an approved boating safety course accepted by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

• DGIF’s Boat Virginia (currently offered at no cost) • U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offered classroom courses • Internet-based courses • Boat US Boat Education section for information about

classroom and approved distance learning options.

How To Meet The Requirements

Proctored Equivalency Exam • For the experienced and knowledgeable boater• Tests knowledge of information included in an

approved course • Referred to as a "challenge" exam • More extensive than test provided at the end of a

classroom course.

How To Meet The Requirements cont.

Present card or certificate indicating you passed an approved course, or equivalency exam. • Lifetime Virginia Boating Safety Education Card

available for $10.00

Proof Of Compliance

If operating a boat registered in Virginia, you must comply with Virginia's boating safety education requirement.

If operating a boat registered in another state, but temporarily Virginia waters for a period of 90 days or less, you must meet the boating safety education requirements of your state.

Non-Resident Requirement

You must provide your course completion card or certificate. If you cannot find your course completion card, the Department may have a record of your course completion • If there is not a record of your class completion and you cannot find your card or certificate, then you will have to take a course or pass the challenge exam.

Previous Training

If the course was a classroom course provided by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, your name should be in the Department's student database and we can replace the card. • Request must be in writing• Fax request to 804-367-0262 or mail to:

Boating Safety Education, Replacement CardP.O. Box 11104, Richmond, VA 23230.

If the course was provided by the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the U.S. Power Squadrons, contact them to see if their records will allow the issuance of a replacement document.

Internet course students should check with original course provider.

Lost Certificate Replacement

Personal watercraft • Minimum operator age is 16

• except those 14 or 15 year olds who have completed and passed a course.

Motorboat • No minimum operator age*• No minimum age requirement to attend a NASBLA

approved boating safety course.

* Youngsters can operate a boat under onboard direct supervision of a person who meets

the boating safety education requirement.

Minimum Age Requirement

Violation of any provision of this law may result in a civil penalty of $100

Penalty

A Temporary Operators Certificate (TOC) allows a first time boat owner to operate their new boat for 90 days • Allows time for the registered owner to take a

boating safety education course. • If you are not yet required to take a boating safety

course, the expiration of the TOC does not apply to you (refer to the phase-in schedule of the boating safety course)

Temporary Operation Certificate