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Do I need a boating license in Hawaii?

Hawaii's boater education rule, quoted from Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), checked against your boat and birth year.

The rule in Hawaii

Hawaii requires a boating safety course certificate of completion (NASBLA and State approved) for motorboat and PWC operators on more than 10 hp.

"Any person operating a power driven vessel on the waters of the State shall be required to possess a certificate of completion from a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved ... course on the safe use and operation of a power driven vessel that contains a component on Hawaii waters approved by the department. Exempt from this requirement are persons who: ... (3) Operate a motorboat that is ten horsepower or less"

Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR). Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 13, Chapter 244, Rules of the Road; Local and Special Rules (Unofficial Compilation), §13-244-15.5 Operation of power driven vessels, checked October 2026.

Boating License CheckHawaii

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It depends on your engine's horsepower.

The rule

Motorboat and PWC operators on more than 10 hp.

"Any person operating a power driven vessel on the waters of the State shall be required to possess a certificate of completion from a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved ... course on the safe use and operation of a power driven vessel that contains a component on Hawaii waters approved by the department. Exempt from this requirement are persons who: ... (3) Operate a motorboat that is ten horsepower or less"

Source: Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 13, Chapter 244, Rules of the Road; Local and Special Rules (Unofficial Compilation), §13-244-15.5 Operation of power driven vessels, checked October 2026.

Exemptions and age limits

"A person under sixteen years of age shall not operate a power driven vessel on the waters of the State unless the person possesses a certificate of completion and is also accompanied on-board and directly supervised by a person twenty-one years of age or older who holds the required certificate of completion."

"Possess a valid merchant mariner credential to operate a vessel issued by the United States Coast Guard pursuant to 46 C.F.R. Part 10"

"Operate a thrill craft in a commercial thrill craft zone as authorized by the State"

"Operate a motorboat that is ten horsepower or less"

"Are on a voyage originating outside of the State and remain in the State less than sixty calendar days."

"A person or the person's responsible managing employee or agent engaged in the business of renting or leasing power driven vessels shall not rent or lease a power driven vessel to any person for operation on the waters of the State unless the person: (1) Meets all the requirements of this section by receiving a safety briefing provided by the rental or leasing business that is approved by the department"

A guide to each state's published rule, not legal advice. Rules change; the linked page is the authority.

Each state's own rule, quoted
Yes, no, or what it depends on
Cold-weather life jacket laws

Boating in Hawaii

29 marinas, charters and rentals listed in Hawaii.

See Hawaii listings

Cold-water season

States where you must wear a life jacket

Most states only require a life jacket on board. These require one to be worn for part of the year, as each state writes it.

State	When	Who
Connecticut	October 1 to May 31	From October 1 through May 31, everyone in a canoe, kayak, paddleboard or other manually propelled vessel must wear a life jacket. Source
New York	November 1 to May 1	From November 1 through May 1, everyone aboard a pleasure vessel under 21 feet, including rowboats, canoes and kayaks, must wear a fastened Coast Guard approved life jacket while underway. Source
Pennsylvania	November 1 to April 30	From November 1 through April 30, you must wear a life jacket while underway or at anchor on any boat under 16 feet, and on any canoe, kayak or paddleboard of any length. Source
Vermont	November 1 to May 1	Since July 1, 2026, everyone aboard any vessel that is under way, while on an open deck, must wear a life jacket from November 1 through May 1. Exceptions: water no more than three feet deep, and licensed hunters or bow fishers actively hunting or fishing. The statute attaches no penalty to a violation. Source

Common questions

Boating license questions

Hawaii requires a boating safety course certificate of completion (NASBLA and State approved) for motorboat and PWC operators on more than 10 hp. Source: Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 13, Chapter 244, Rules of the Road; Local and Special Rules (Unofficial Compilation), §13-244-15.5 Operation of power driven vessels.

Of the 48 states we have checked against their own published rule, 44 require a boater education card for at least some operators. Alaska, Idaho, South Dakota and Wyoming have no requirement. Who it covers differs a lot: some states cover every motorboat operator, others only people born after a certain date or boats over a set horsepower.

None of the 48 states we have checked requires a boater education card for paddle craft alone. Some do require a life jacket to be worn in the cold months, which the tool shows for your state.

Connecticut: October 1 to May 31. New York: November 1 to May 1. Pennsylvania: November 1 to April 30. Vermont: November 1 to May 1. Each state's rule covers different boats; pick your state and craft in the tool to see its exact wording.

People search for a boating license, but most states ask for a boater education card or certificate instead: proof that you passed an approved boating safety course. The tool uses each state's own name for it.

Yes. It is free, needs no account, and links every answer to the state page it comes from. Always read the current rule before you go out.

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