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Required Boater Education

A growing number of states and provinces on the Great Loop require cruisers to have taken an approved boater education course to operate vessels in their waters. Alabama, New Jersey, and New York are a few states that require this for even transiting boaters, and others are following suit. Below are the requirements outlined for both the U.S. and Canada.  AGLCA also has a free, 7-part webinar series on boater safety.  While this series does not result in the certification required, it is great preparation for taking a certification course and provides a deeper dive into most of the topics covered in the certification classes.  You'll find the webinar series on this page.

U.S. Boater Education Requirements

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), which represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 U.S. states and territories, endorses boater education courses around the country and you can find organizations that offer those courses in your state by using the map locator on the NASBLA website. To find out about your state’s boating laws, their governing agencies and their class recommendations, you can use this NASBLA directory. The states along the Great Loop that require transiting boaters to have taken a boating education course recognize NASBLA-approved courses (or a U.S. Coast Guard Captain's credential such as OUPV or Master), so you should be sure to take one of these prior to beginning the Great Loop.

NASBLA classes are offered by such organizations as the following:

These organizations offer in-person classes and virtual classes.

Many AGLCA sponsors also offer these certification classes or can make recommendations about these classes. You can use the AGLCA Sponsor Directory and filter on Boating Instruction, Deliveries & Charters to find these sponsors.

Canadian regulations do not apply to non-residents who operate pleasure craft in Canadian waters for less than 45 consecutive days (which would apply to most Loopers).  Therefore, U.S. Citizens on U.S. registered vessels cruising in Canada should not be required to take a Canadian boater education course. A proof of residence is required on board at all times along with a proof of operator competency from your local state or country.

Canadian Boater Education Requirements

Canadian Loopers with Canadian registered boats are required to have a proof of competency that shows they have a basic understanding of how to operate a boat safely and know what to do in an emergency.  This proof of competency can be one of many documents:

  • Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) -- This card can be obtained by take a boating safety course and test by a course provider accredited by Transport Canada.  For a full list of accredited providers, click here. Services and fees vary by provider and provider may offer in-person and/or virtual classes.  For Canadians cruising U.S. waters, this card is recognized as the equivalent to the U.S.’s NASBLA-accredited Boating Safety Education Certificates so no additional certification is needed while in the United States.
  • Certificate from a Canadian boating safety course completed before April 1, 1999 (when the current regulation came into effect)
  • Professional marine certificate or equivalent as outlined here