Georgia’s new boater education law takes effect July 1 | savannahnow.com

Beginning July 1, state law will require those born on or after Jan. 1, 1998, to complete a boating safety course to lawfully operate a motorized vessel, including personal watercraft, on any Georgia waters.

The course must be approved by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Law enforcement will enforce the law by checking for possession of the state’s official boater education card, issued to those who complete the course.

Under the law, youth ages 12-15 are allowed to operate a vessel less than 16 feet in length, including a personal watercraft, after passing the course or if they’re accompanied by a competent adult.

Exempt are only those operating on a private lake or pond, licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as a master of a vessel or non-residents with proof of completion of a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators-approved boater education course, according to the DNR.

via Georgia’s new boater education law takes effect July 1 | savannahnow.com.