Illinois Boating Regulations and Laws
The Illinois Boating Safety Education Certificate (also referred to as the
Illinois boating license) is proof that a boater has taken and passed an
approved boater education course. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources currently has a mandatory boater education requirement that requires all boaters between 12 and 17 years of age who wish to operate a powered vessel on Illinois waters to have the Illinois boating license on board when the vessel is
underway to satisfy the Illinois boating regulations.
Where can I take my safe boating exam and get my Boater Education Card?
You can take your safe boating exam directly on the Internet at
BoaterExam.com™.
Once you pass the exam your boater education card is mailed to
your home. In the meantime, you can print off a Certificate of Completion
that can be used until your permanent boater education card arrives.
Where can I get the boater safety education course material?
All the required safe boating training
material to get your boater education card is available
for free at BoaterExam.com™. Simply visit
our Illinois Safe Boating Course section
to gain access to the free training material. The Illinois
Safe Boating Course is accredited by the Illinois Department of Boating &
Waterways.
Where can I get more information about Illinois boating regulations and the Illinois boater education card?
Answers to most of your questions about the Illinois Boating Safety Education Certificate can
be found on our Frequently
Asked Questions page. You may also visit The Illinois Department of Boating
& Waterways. for additional information, or you can contact
us and we will be glad to answer any of your questions.