Connecticut Boater Study Guide 2026

Who needs a Connecticut boating certificate

Connecticut boating education is run by the Boating Division of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The rules are in Chapter 268 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

You need a certificate to legally operate any motorized boat, or a sailboat 19.5 feet or longer, if you are a Connecticut resident, you own real property in Connecticut, or your boat is registered in Connecticut.

The two certificates

Certificate	What it covers	How to qualify
Safe Boating Certificate (SBC)	Any recreational vessel except a PWC	Approved basic course or the DEEP Equivalency Exam
Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation (CPWO)	Any recreational vessel, including a PWC	Combined boating and PWC course, a basic course plus a 2.5-hour PWC course, or the Equivalency Exam

A valid U.S. Coast Guard vessel operator license can be used instead of the SBC for boats that are not personal watercraft. You must carry the license on board. It does not let you ride a PWC.

The electric motor exception

On inland waters where motors over 10 horsepower are not allowed, you do not need a certificate for a boat with an electric motor rated at 106 pounds of thrust or less, from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. The boat must still be registered with the DMV.

Visitors and new residents

Connecticut recognizes certificates from New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Anyone riding a PWC needs a CPWO or a certificate from a recognized state, even a visitor.
A nonresident who operates on Connecticut waters for more than 60 days in a calendar year must get a Connecticut certificate.
A person who becomes a permanent Connecticut resident has 90 days to get a Connecticut certificate.

The course, the exam and your certificate

Approved basic boating courses must be approved by NASBLA, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. The basic course is 8 hours long. You must attend all of it and pass a proctored exam with 80% or better.

Online classes

Connecticut does not accept self-paced (asynchronous) online courses. A virtual class counts only if it is led live by an instructor, lasts at least 8 hours and includes a proctored exam.

The DEEP Equivalency Exam

Experienced boaters can skip the course by passing the DEEP Equivalency Exam. It covers the same topics as the basic course, including Connecticut law, trailering, waterways and vessel types. You need 80% to pass, and testing is by appointment.

Getting the certificate

Get a Conservation ID Number from the Online Sportsmen Licensing System. If you already have a Connecticut hunting or fishing license, you already have one.
Register for an approved class using that number, your name and your birth date.
Pass the class and keep your diploma.
About a week later, buy and print your certificate online, or visit a DEEP processing office with your diploma.
Sign the certificate and carry it every time you operate.

The printed certificate is your official document, and you can reprint it online at any time. Certificates are valid for life and can be issued at any age, but they can be suspended after a conviction for operating under the influence.

Temporary certificates

If you buy and register a new or used boat and have no certificate, DEEP can issue a temporary certificate at a processing office. It is valid for three months from the registration date, and you must earn the permanent certificate in that time. No one gets more than one temporary certificate. A temporary PWC certificate also requires an approved PWC handling course first.

Age limits and supervision

Connecticut certificates can be issued at any age, but young operators still have limits. Boat owners who knowingly let a child operate without a required certificate can be held responsible for what the child does.

Situation	Rule
Under 16, no certificate, boat that is not a PWC	Allowed only with direct supervision on board by someone 18 or older who has held a certificate for at least two years
Under 16, with a CPWO, on a PWC	Allowed only when supervised on board by a CPWO holder who is at least 18
Under 12, with a certificate	May not operate a vessel over 10 horsepower unless a certificate holder 18 or older is aboard
Under 16	May not operate a vessel that is towing a skier or tuber

A 12-year-old who wants to run a boat alone needs a certificate.

Endorsements, rentals and towing

Safe Waterskiing Endorsement

To operate a vessel that is towing someone on water skis, a tube or a similar device, you need a Safe Waterskiing Endorsement from DEEP. You must be at least 16 and hold a Coast Guard license or a certificate from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York or Rhode Island. People who held a qualifying license or certificate before October 1, 2015 do not need the endorsement.

Towing rules

A boat towing a skier must carry a responsible person at least 12 years old, besides the operator, to watch the skier.
No water skiing from half an hour after sunset until sunrise, or when you cannot see 100 yards.
Never tow so that the skier could hit a person or another vessel.

Coastal Boater Endorsement

An optional Coastal Boater Endorsement can be added to an SBC or PWC certificate after you finish a coastal navigation course.

Renting a boat

A boat livery may rent vessels other than PWCs for 14 days or less to people who have no certificate. The livery must give renters boating safety literature. To rent and ride a PWC, you still need a CPWO or a recognized certificate.

Key Connecticut safety rules

Life jackets

There must be a wearable life jacket on board for each person.
All children 12 and under must wear a life jacket.
From October 1 through May 31, you must wear a life jacket in a canoe, kayak or other manually propelled vessel, because the water is cold.

A life jacket only works if it fits and is fastened.

Close the front zipper.
Fasten every buckle.
Pull the side straps snug.
Ask someone to lift at the shoulders. It should stay below your chin.

Alcohol and drugs

It is illegal to operate a boat under the influence. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for operators 21 and older and 0.02% for operators under 21. A conviction leads to a certificate suspension, and repeat offenses can lead to permanent revocation.

Other rules

Stay at least 100 feet from a marker that shows a diver is below.
Do not anchor under a bridge, in a narrow channel or in a busy area that is not a marked anchorage, except in an emergency.
After a collision or accident, help others as far as you safely can and exchange names, addresses and boat identification.
Carry your signed certificate every time you operate.

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".

DEEP Boating Division: The part of Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection that runs boating education and certificates.
Who needs a certificate: Anyone operating a motorized boat, or a sailboat 19.5 feet or longer, who is a resident, owns property in Connecticut or has a Connecticut-registered boat.
Safe Boating Certificate (SBC): The certificate for any recreational vessel except a personal watercraft. Earn it through an approved course or the Equivalency Exam.
Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation: The CPWO covers any recreational vessel, including a PWC. Visitors riding a PWC also need it or a recognized certificate.
Electric motor exception: On inland waters limited to 10 horsepower, a boat with an electric motor of 106 pounds of thrust or less needs no certificate during set hours.
Recognized states: Connecticut accepts boating certificates from New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Nonresident 60-day rule: A nonresident boating on Connecticut waters for more than 60 days in a calendar year must get a Connecticut certificate.
NASBLA: The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, which approves basic boating courses accepted in Connecticut.
Basic boating course: An 8-hour course you must attend in full, ending with a proctored exam where you need 80% or better. Self-paced online courses do not count.
DEEP Equivalency Exam: A test that lets experienced boaters skip the course. It covers the same topics, needs 80%, and is by appointment.
Conservation ID Number: Your number from the Online Sportsmen Licensing System, needed to register for a class. Never create a second profile.
Temporary certificate: Issued to a new boat owner with no certificate. It lasts three months from registration, and only one is ever allowed.
Under-16 supervision: Without a certificate, a child under 16 may operate only with someone 18 or older aboard who has held a certificate for two years.
Safe Waterskiing Endorsement: Needed to tow a skier or tuber. You must be at least 16 and hold a qualifying certificate or license.
Cold water life jacket rule: From October 1 through May 31, you must wear a life jacket in a canoe, kayak or other manually propelled vessel.
Boating under the influence: Illegal at 0.08% blood alcohol for operators 21 and older, and 0.02% for those under 21. It leads to certificate suspension.