Use this free Florida boating study guide to review important boating laws, safety rules, and course topics before taking your Florida boating safety course.

This guide is provided by Certified Boater as a helpful study resource. It is not a replacement for Florida law, official state guidance, or the full boating safety course. Boating laws can change, so always follow current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules and posted waterway signs.

When you are ready, you can take the Certified Boater Florida online boating safety course to meet Florida’s boating education requirement.

Who Needs Boating Education in Florida?

Florida has boating education rules for many operators.

If you were born on or after January 1, 1988, you must complete an approved boating safety course to operate a motorboat with 10 horsepower or more.

After you complete an approved course, you can get a Florida Boating Safety Education I.D. Card.

Many people call this a Florida boating license, but Florida does not technically issue a boating license. The official document is the Florida Boating Safety Education I.D. Card.

You should carry your card and photo identification when operating a boat.

Vessel Basics

Before operating a boat, you should understand the basic parts of the vessel and how the boat handles on the water.

Important vessel basics include:

• Bow, stern, port, and starboard
• Hull, transom, and motor
• Capacity plate
• Fuel system
• Steering and throttle controls
• Navigation lights
• Safety equipment storage

Every boat handles differently. Wind, waves, current, speed, weight, and passenger movement can all affect control.

Before leaving the dock, make sure the boat is in safe operating condition and has the required safety equipment on board.

Navigation Rules

Navigation rules help boaters avoid collisions.

Operators must keep a proper lookout, travel at a safe speed, and take action early to avoid danger.

Common navigation situations include:

• Meeting another boat head-on
• Crossing paths with another boat
• Overtaking another boat
• Operating near sailboats, paddlers, and other slower vessels
• Passing through narrow channels

When two power-driven boats meet head-on, both should turn to starboard so they pass port side to port side.

When boats cross paths, one boat is the give-way vessel and the other is the stand-on vessel. The give-way vessel must take early action to avoid a collision.

Even if you are the stand-on vessel, you must still act if the other boat does not follow the rules.

Nighttime Navigation

Boating at night can be more dangerous than boating during the day.

It is harder to see other boats, markers, swimmers, hazards, and changes in weather.

Before boating at night, make sure your navigation lights work. You should also slow down and keep a careful lookout.

At night, boat lights help show:

• The type of vessel
• The direction it is moving
• Whether it is anchored or underway
• Whether it may have limited ability to maneuver

Never assume another operator sees you. Use safe speed, keep your distance, and be ready to take action.

Required Equipment

Boats must carry required safety equipment.

The exact equipment depends on the boat, its size, and where it is used.

Common safety equipment includes:

• U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets
• A throwable flotation device, when required
• A sound-producing device, such as a whistle or horn
• Fire extinguisher, when required
• Navigation lights
• Visual distress signals, when required
• Engine cut-off switch, when required

Equipment must be in good condition and easy to reach.

The operator is responsible for making sure the boat is legal and safe before leaving the dock.

Life Jackets

Life jackets save lives.

A boat must have the correct number and type of U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets on board.

Life jackets should fit the person wearing them. They should also be in good condition.

Children, weak swimmers, paddlers, skiers, and personal watercraft riders should wear life jackets at all times.

In Florida, children under 6 years old must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while on a vessel under 26 feet that is underway.

Life jackets should never be locked away or buried under gear. They must be easy to reach in an emergency.

Personal Watercraft Rules

Personal watercraft include jet skis and similar vessels.

Florida has special rules for personal watercraft.

Important PWC rules include:

• You must be at least 14 years old to operate a personal watercraft.
• You must be at least 18 years old to rent a personal watercraft.
• Everyone on a personal watercraft must wear a non-inflatable life jacket.
• If the personal watercraft has an engine cut-off switch, it must be used.
• Personal watercraft may not be operated from sunset to sunrise.

Unsafe operation is illegal.

Examples of unsafe operation include weaving through boat traffic, jumping wakes too close to other vessels, and riding too close to swimmers, docks, or other boats.

Speed Zones and No Wake Areas

Florida uses speed zones to protect people, property, wildlife, and sensitive areas.

Boaters must obey posted signs and markers.

Common speed zones include:

• Idle speed
• Slow speed
• No wake zones
• Manatee protection zones
• Restricted areas

Idle speed means the slowest speed needed to maintain steerage.

Slow speed means the boat is fully off plane and making only a small wake.

Always slow down near docks, ramps, marinas, swimmers, paddlers, anchored boats, law enforcement vessels, emergency scenes, and wildlife areas.

Divers-Down Flags

Florida uses divers-down warning devices to show that divers or snorkelers are in the water.

A divers-down flag is red with a white diagonal stripe.

Boaters must stay well away from divers-down devices.

In open water, boaters must stay at least 300 feet away.

In rivers, inlets, and navigation channels, boaters must stay at least 100 feet away.

If you must come closer, slow to idle speed and proceed with extreme care.

Divers must also stay close to their divers-down device and remove it when no divers are in the water.

Water Skiing and Towing

Florida has rules for water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, and other towing activities.

A boat towing a person must have an observer, or it must have a wide-angle mirror that lets the operator see the person being towed.

Towing is only allowed during legal daylight hours.

Anyone being towed must wear a non-inflatable life jacket.

Operators must keep skiers and riders away from docks, boats, swimmers, marked channels, and other hazards.

No one may operate the boat or be towed while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Boating Under the Influence

Boating under the influence is dangerous and illegal.

Alcohol and drugs can affect judgment, balance, reaction time, vision, and coordination.

Sun, heat, wind, noise, vibration, and motion can make impairment worse on the water.

A safe operator should stay alert and sober.

If alcohol is involved, choose a sober operator before leaving the dock.

Emergencies and Accident Reporting

Boaters should know what to do in an emergency.

Common boating emergencies include:

• Falls overboard
• Capsizing
• Swamping
• Fire
• Collision
• Grounding
• Severe weather
• Medical emergencies
• Carbon monoxide poisoning

If an accident happens, the operator must stop, give help when safe, and report the accident when required by law.

You should also carry a way to call for help, such as a charged phone or marine radio.

Before each trip, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.

Manatees and Seagrass

Florida boaters share the water with manatees and other wildlife.

Manatees are protected. It is illegal to harass, chase, feed, disturb, injure, or kill them.

Boaters should slow down in manatee zones and watch for signs of manatees in the water.

Seagrass beds are also important. They provide food, shelter, and clean water habitat.

Avoid running through shallow seagrass areas. Stay in marked channels when possible.

If you run aground, stop the engine and raise the motor before trying to move.

Study Before You Boat

This Florida boating study guide is a helpful overview, but it does not replace the full boating safety course.

The Certified Boater Florida online boating safety course gives you a complete lesson path, quizzes, and final exam preparation.

When you are ready, start the Florida online boating safety course and work toward your Florida Boating Safety Education I.D. Card.

https://certifiedboater.com/register/florida-boating-course/