by Flemming Christensen

Boating Safety Certification required

ALL operators of boats and personal watercraft (pwc) in Massachusetts must now obtain a Boating Safety certification.

What the state requires:

All individuals born after January 1, 1989, must complete a Massachusetts boating safety course by April 1, 2026, and those born on or before January 1, 1989, have until April 1, 2028, to comply. Currently, operators between 12 and 15 must complete a course to operate a motorboat without supervision, and 16 to 17-year-olds must complete one to operate a personal watercraft. (Under 16 not allowed to operate a pwc). The new state law requires ALL operators to certify, even if you have decades of successful operator experience.

What HPWA is doing:

HPWA will be sponsoring a boating safety course delivered by the Mass Environmental Police (MEP) in the Little Red School House (1144 Long Pond Rd) this April. Each course spans four weekday evenings including the test. Dates are Mondays April 6 & 13, Thursdays April 9 &16 from 6-9pm.

Several HPWA members attended the course offered by HPWA last June 2025 and reported an enjoyable experience connecting with fellow boaters on the ponds (and the ocean). The MEP instructors were not shy of sharing stories of mistakes they themselves have made when trailering or operating motorboats. We’re all human and can make mistakes, so you want to know what to be especially alert for in order to avoid safety incidents. It was worth the four evenings to connect with fellow boaters, ask questions, share tips, and recommend who might be able to help. The instructors were the local, assigned, MEP duty officers. They’re the same officers who’ll help in case of a boating safety incident, so it was reassuring to get to know them. All students passed the test and were issued a driver’s license style certificate to be carried on board by the certified operator. 

What you should do:

If you haven’t already passed a Massachusetts boating safety course, pay attention to the dates of the new law taking effect and decide how you will obtain the required certification.

• If you choose the in-person course sponsored by HPWA on April 6, 9, 13 &16- warmly recommended – you must register at https://www.mass.gov/forms/mep-boating-safety-course-online-enrollment-form the class ID # will be announced by HPWA as soon as it is available. The course will likely fill up fast, so don’t delay signing up once dates and code are announced.
• If you choose a course sponsored elsewhere, perhaps because the HPWA sponsored course dates don’t work for you, find a course that suits your schedule on the Massachusetts Environmental Police web site and register there.
• If you prefer an online self-study course, perhaps because you have extensive experience already, and don’t want to connect with fellow boaters, you can find options on the MEP site above as well.

There has to be at least one certified operator on board, so if your motorboat or pwc is ever operated without yourself on board, make sure other users (household members, family or friends) also take the course and complete the certification. All MEP courses are accredited by the National Association of Safe Boating Law Administrator (NASBLA), which is how your certificate will be recognized if you’re boating in another state than the one you passed the safety certification in.

Happy learning and safe boating!