Your Boater Education Card, more commonly known as a Georgia Boating License proves that you have taken an approved Boating Safety Course and have obtained the skill and knowledge needed to operate a boat safely. In Georgia, a Boater Education Card is required for anyone operating a motorized boat who was born after January 1, 1998.

You can obtain your Georgia boating license by taking the online BOATsmart! Course –  you’ll be on the water with confidence in just a few hours.

All boats in Georgia are required to carry at least one Coast Guard approved, wearable life jacket, on board the boat for each passenger. If your boat is over 16 feet in length, you are also required to carry a Type IV (throwable) flotation device on board.

Adults are not required to actually wear life jackets at all times while boating, however you should always wear one.  A life jacket can be the difference between life and death in an emergency.

In Georgia, children under 13 years of age are required to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket when underway on any boat.

In Georgia, it’s illegal to operate any boat (including any type of paddle craft) while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. This includes any type of boat, sailboat, personal watercraft (PWC), water-skis, sailboard or similar device.

Boaters are considered to be ‘under the influence’ in Georgia if they have a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of 0.08% or higher; OR if they are under the age of 21 and have a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of 0.02% or higher.

Boaters convicted of operating while under the influence in Georgia will be subject to a maximum fine of up to $1,000 and up to 12 months imprisonment. Subsequent convictions will face more severe penalties and steeper fines. Why take the risk? Stay safe and stay sober, boat operators.

If you’ve been involved in a boat accident in Georgia and a person was killed, disappeared from the boat, required medical treatment beyond first aid, or there was property damage exceeding $2,000, you’ll be required to submit a Boat Accident Report as quickly as possible, to your local law enforcement authorities.

Contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to obtain a boat accident report form.

The BOATsmart! Course has been approved by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. For more information about Georgia’s boating laws, contact the Department at:

Georgia Department of Natural Resources
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S. E., Suite 1252 East Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-3500
https://www.gadnr.org