Mass. General Laws c.90B § 9D

Boater safety education program

This is an unofficial version of a Massachusetts General Law.

Updates

Added by St. 2024, c. 350, § 11, effective April 1, 2026; provided, however, that no operator of any motorboat or personal watercraft shall be assessed a penalty for a violation of section 9B of said chapter 90B until September 1, 2026.

(a)

(1)

The director shall establish a boater safety education program for motorboat and personal watercraft operators.

(2)

To complete the boater safety education program and be issued a valid boater safety certificate under this section, a person shall successfully complete an examination established by the division.

(3)

Boater safety certificates issued pursuant to this section shall be in a form prescribed by the director.

(4)

Boater safety certificates shall be valid for the lifetime of the person named on the certificate, except as otherwise provided by law, court judgement or order or administrative hearing conducted by the director or a designee.

(b)

No person under 12 years of age shall be issued a boater safety certificate.

(c)

(1)

The division shall provide a boater safety education program and examination, for which it may require a payment of a reasonable fee as determined by the director. Upon the successful completion of the online boater safety education program and examination, the person shall be immediately issued a printable, temporary boater safety certificate; provided, however, that the director or the program provider shall mail an original boater safety certificate to the person thereafter.

(2)

The director may require boater safety education program providers who offer on-site boating safety examinations to certify under pains and penalties of perjury that they comply with course requirements established by the division, including proctored examination conditions; provided, however, that if a provider fails to so certify, the director may bar the provider from providing boater safety education programs or examinations.

(3)

If a person does not pass the boater safety education examination on the first attempt, the person may take the examination an unlimited number of times until the person successfully completes the examination.

(4)

Upon the successful completion of the examination by a person taking an on-site boating safety examination, the boater safety education program provider may arrange for an electronic copy of the successful certificate to be made available to the person.

Last updated:	January 8, 2025