Who needs a Delaware boating safety certificate
Boating education in Delaware is run by the Office of Boating Safety and Education in DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife. Its goal is to teach boaters safe skills and the state's laws.
Under Title 23, Section 2221 of the Delaware Code, anyone born on or after January 1, 1978, must complete a department-approved course and get a certificate before operating a vessel on Delaware waters. The rule covers vessels that must be registered in any state or documented by the U.S. Coast Guard. DNREC explains that this means motorized boats, including personal watercraft (PWCs).
People often call the card a "Delaware boating license", but it is really a boating safety certificate. It shows you passed a course.
Exemptions
Section 2222 exempts two groups:
- holders of a valid U.S. Coast Guard captain's license
- holders of a valid Delaware River and Bay pilot's license, or an equivalent license from another place
Certificates from other states
Delaware accepts a boating safety certificate issued by any state if it is approved by NASBLA, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.
Registration is separate
Your certificate is about you; registration is about the boat. Delaware law requires the registration of all motorboats, including electric-powered boats when Delaware is their main place of use. Motorboats launched from tidal access areas run by the Division of Fish and Wildlife must be registered in Delaware or have a valid Tidal Access Boat Ramp Certificate.
Taking the course and carrying your card
DNREC holds boating safety classes throughout the state; check the course schedule for dates. Several online versions of the Delaware course are also approved by the state. A free paddle sports course exists too, but it is not a Delaware boating safety course.
Section 2223 tells the department to offer a statewide course at regular times in each county. A department course may not require more than 6 classes or more than 12 hours in total. The law also lets instructors give tests verbally when that is appropriate.
| Rule | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Carry it | Keep your certificate with you at all times while operating a vessel in Delaware |
| Show it | Show it on demand to a Fish and Wildlife Agent or other law enforcement officer |
| How long it lasts | For your lifetime; the department or a court cannot revoke it |
| Lost card | Use the DNREC Boater Safety Card website to see your profile, classes and cards |
Taking a course may also help you get a discount on boat insurance, and it helps you avoid tickets.
Life jackets for children
Every vessel must carry a life jacket for each person on board, and anyone being towed must wear one. Delaware adds a special rule for children in Subchapter I of Chapter 22.
The operator of a recreational boat must make sure that every child 12 years of age or under wears a Type I, II, III or V Coast Guard-approved life jacket. It must be in good condition and the right size.
- The rule does not apply to a child who is below deck or in an enclosed cabin.
- It does not apply while the boat is anchored or moored.
- Charter boats and head boats run by a Coast Guard-licensed captain for paying passengers are commercial, so the rule does not cover them.
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.
Personal watercraft rules
Delaware's PWC law is in Subchapter II of Chapter 22.
| Topic | Delaware rule |
|---|---|
| Age 16 and older | May operate a PWC without supervision |
| Age 14 and 15 | Only under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian |
| Education | PWC operators born on or after January 1, 1978, need a boating safety certificate, as for any motorized boat |
| Life jackets | Everyone operating or riding must wear one |
| Cut-off | A lanyard cut-off switch or self-circling device; the lanyard is attached to the operator, their clothing or life jacket |
Speed and distance
- Use headway speed within or at the entrance to a marina or anchorage.
- On most Delaware waters, other than the Atlantic Ocean, the Nanticoke River and the parts of the Inland Bays next to incorporated towns, stay at headway speed unless you are at least 100 feet from docks, piers, launch areas, moored boats and shorelines and at least 300 feet from people in the water.
- On the Atlantic Ocean, and in parts of the Inland Bays near incorporated towns, the buffer is 300 feet.
Unsafe maneuvers
- Jumping the wake of another vessel within 100 feet of it.
- Following within 100 feet of a water-skier.
To tow a skier or tuber, a competent observer must be on board besides the operator, facing the person being towed. The PWC must be designed to carry the operator, the observer and the person towed.
Renting a personal watercraft
Section 2213 sets rules for businesses that rent PWCs. They protect renters who may be new to the water.
- The renter must hold a valid automobile driver's license.
- The business explains where the PWC may and may not go and gives a printed map or chart of the area.
- The renter signs a statement that they have read and understood the DNREC safety material.
- A vessel equipped to help, guide and police riders must be at the rental site.
Every rental PWC must be clearly marked with the word "rental".
PWCs follow the same right-of-way rules as other powerboats.
- A: Give-way boat. It turns right and passes behind B.
- B: Stand-on boat. It holds course and speed.
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".
- Office of Boating Safety and Education
- The office in DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife that runs boating education in Delaware.
- Title 23, Section 2221
- The Delaware Code section requiring anyone born on or after January 1, 1978, to complete an approved course before operating a vessel.
- January 1, 1978
- The key Delaware birth date. Boaters born on or after it need a boating safety certificate to run motorized boats.
- Boating safety certificate
- Proof you passed an approved course. People call it a boating license, but it shows education, not a license.
- Section 2222 exemptions
- Holders of a valid Coast Guard captain's license or a Delaware River and Bay pilot's license do not need the certificate.
- NASBLA-approved certificate
- A boating safety certificate from any state that Delaware accepts because it is approved by NASBLA.
- Boat registration
- Separate from your certificate. All motorboats, including electric boats mainly used in Delaware, must be registered.
- Tidal Access Boat Ramp Certificate
- Needed for motorboats not registered in Delaware that launch from tidal access areas run by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
- Course limits
- A department course may not require more than 6 classes or 12 hours in total, and instructors may test verbally.
- Lifetime certificate
- A Delaware boating safety certificate lasts for life, and neither the department nor a court can revoke it.
- Child life jacket rule
- Children 12 and under on a recreational boat must wear a fitted Coast Guard-approved life jacket, unless below deck, anchored or moored.
- PWC age rules
- Operators 16 and older may ride alone. Ages 14 and 15 need direct supervision by a parent or legal guardian.
- Lanyard cut-off switch
- A device on a PWC, attached to the operator, their clothing or life jacket, that stops the engine if they fall off.
- Headway speed
- The slowest speed that keeps steering control. PWCs use it in marinas and within 100 feet of docks or 300 feet of swimmers.
- Unsafe PWC maneuvers
- Jumping another vessel's wake within 100 feet of it, or following within 100 feet of a water-skier.
- PWC rental rules
- Renters need a valid driver's license and a signed safety statement, and rental PWCs must be clearly marked rental.