The DC Boating Safety Certificate
Boating on District of Columbia waters is policed by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Harbor Patrol Unit. MPD states that anyone operating a vessel on District of Columbia waterways is required to have a Boating Safety Certificate.
MPD issues the certificate to people who successfully complete its Boating Safety course. The course teaches the legal requirements, the Navigation Rules, safety equipment and the main causes of accidents.
Course facts
| Item | Details from MPD |
|---|---|
| Length | One day, 8 hours, from 7 am to 3 pm |
| Cost | Free, with course materials included |
| Where | Harbor Patrol offices on Water Street SW |
| Class size | Up to 15 students |
| What to bring | A photo ID |
| How to sign up | Pre-registration by phone is required |
| When | Scheduled dates during the boating season |
MPD's page does not describe a separate written exam or a pass mark, so this quiz is for learning and review.
How to use this quiz
Practice set 1 covers the DC rules in this guide: the certificate, young operators, life jackets, speed limits, accidents and registration. The other sets cover the national material that every boating course teaches, such as who gives way, navigation lights, sound signals, buoys and required equipment. Study both, because the MPD course covers the legal requirements and the Navigation Rules together.
Operators and renters under 18
The DC harbor regulations, published by MPD, set rules for young boaters in Section 1026.
- Operating: a person under 18 may not operate a vessel 16 feet or longer unless they have completed a boating safety course approved by the Harbor Master, or are supervised as the rule requires.
- Renting: no one may rent a vessel to a person under 18 unless they completed an approved course or are under the constant supervision of a qualifying adult.
- Proof: an operator must have evidence of an approved course with them, or make it available to the Harbor Master at the launch or berthing point.
Life jackets for young crews
When a vessel 16 feet or longer is operated by someone under 18, the operator and everyone else aboard who is under 18 must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket of the right size.
How to check that a life jacket fits.
- Zip up the front.
- Fasten all the buckles.
- Pull the side straps snug.
- Have someone lift at the shoulders. A good fit stays below your chin.
Life jackets, speed and safe operation
Every boat needs a Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board. Each one must be in good condition, easy to reach and the right size. MPD notes that boats 16 feet or longer must also carry a throwable device.
Between Fletcher's Cove and Little Falls, everyone aboard must wear a life jacket at all times.
Speed and wakes
- In listed areas, including upstream of Arlington Memorial Bridge, power-driven vessels may not go faster than 6 statute miles per hour.
- When passing the Alexandria, Virginia, wharf area, the limit is 10 miles per hour.
- Operators must control their speed and wake to avoid danger or injury to others.
- You may not jump another vessel's wake within 100 yards of it.
- Personal watercraft running at 10 mph or faster must stay at least 25 yards apart.
Towing
When you tow a water-skier, an observer other than the operator must be on board, and the observer must be at least 12 years old.
Personal watercraft
Everyone on a personal watercraft should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. PWC riders also follow the DC wake-jumping and 25-yard spacing rules above.
Alcohol and drugs
The regulations ban operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or any narcotic drug, barbiturate or hallucinogen.
Reporting accidents
The harbor regulations require a written report to MPD after a serious boating accident, such as one that causes a death, an injury, a disappearance or major damage.
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Death or disappearance | Notify the Harbor Master immediately |
| Death within 24 hours, injury needing more than first aid, or a disappearance | Written report within 48 hours |
| Other reportable accidents | Written report within 10 days |
Most collisions happen when boats cross. The boat with the other on its starboard side gives way.
- A: Give-way boat. It turns right and passes behind B.
- B: Stand-on boat. It holds course and speed.
Registration and titling
Any vessel that is operated mainly on DC waters must be registered every year with the DC Boat Registration Office at MPD. Registrations can be renewed online.
- All registrations expire on December 31 each year.
- The registration certificate must be on the boat and available for inspection whenever the boat is in use.
- Registration numbers must be at least 3 inches high.
- A new validation sticker is issued each year and goes within six inches of the number.
- Under the District of Columbia Boat Titling Act, a registered vessel used mainly on District waters must also get a certificate of title.
MPD's Online Vessel Registration System lets owners renew without visiting an office. MPD sorts boats with propulsion machinery into registration classes by length, from under 16 feet to over 40 feet, and has a separate class for boats without propulsion machinery.
Key terms
The 16 words and rules to know for this test. Read the list or study them as flashcards: flip each card, then mark it "Know it" or "Still learning".
- MPD Harbor Patrol Unit
- The Metropolitan Police Department unit that polices boating on District of Columbia waters and runs the safety course.
- Boating Safety Certificate
- What MPD says anyone operating a vessel on DC waterways must have. It is issued after completing the MPD Boating Safety course.
- MPD Boating Safety course
- A free one-day, 8-hour class at the Harbor Patrol offices on Water Street SW, for up to 15 students. Pre-register by phone.
- Harbor Master
- The official who approves boating safety courses in DC and must be notified immediately of a death or disappearance.
- Section 1026
- The part of the DC harbor regulations that sets the rules for operators and renters under 18.
- Under-18 operators
- May not operate a vessel 16 feet or longer without an approved course or the required supervision.
- Under-18 life jackets
- When someone under 18 operates a vessel 16 feet or longer, all aboard under 18 must wear a sized, approved life jacket.
- Fletcher's Cove to Little Falls
- The stretch of water where everyone aboard must wear a life jacket at all times.
- 6 mph limit
- In listed areas, including upstream of Arlington Memorial Bridge, power-driven vessels may not exceed 6 statute miles per hour.
- Alexandria wharf limit
- When passing the Alexandria, Virginia, wharf area, the speed limit is 10 miles per hour.
- Wake jumping
- Not allowed within 100 yards of the other vessel on DC waters.
- PWC spacing
- Personal watercraft running at 10 mph or faster must stay at least 25 yards apart.
- Ski observer
- A person other than the operator who watches a towed water-skier. The observer must be at least 12 years old.
- Accident report deadlines
- A written report is due within 48 hours for a death, serious injury or disappearance, and within 10 days for others.
- Annual registration
- Vessels used mainly on DC waters register every year with MPD. All registrations expire on December 31.
- Boat Titling Act
- The DC law requiring a registered vessel used mainly on District waters to also get a certificate of title.