Find Your Next Spot
New Jersey Boater Education
Does New Jersey require a boating safety course or license? Here's who to check with.
Governing Agency
Boater education and boating safety requirements in New Jersey are set by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Most states require boaters born after a certain year (often 1986–1988, but this varies) to complete an approved boating safety course and carry a boater education card — requirements and age cutoffs differ by state, so don't assume your home state's rule applies here.
Find New Jersey's current boater education requirement →Before you operate a boat in New Jersey, check:
- Whether your birth year requires a boater education card in New Jersey
- Whether out-of-state boater education cards are accepted, or if you need one issued specifically for New Jersey
- Age minimums for operating a boat or personal watercraft unsupervised
- Whether rental boats or PWCs have separate requirements from owned vessels
Looking for a professional captain's license instead? That's a federal credential, not a state one.
Learn how captain's licenses work →Browse all 15 counties with boat ramps in New Jersey on our New Jersey ramp directory.