What is the Cost of a Boating License?

The cost of a boating license typically ranges from $30 to $60.

This cost can vary by state and type of course (online vs in-person). Read on to learn how to get the most bang for your buck.

Key Takeaways:

Most online courses cost $30-60
Online courses can be timed (minimum time required on each page of the course) or untimed (timers removed). Untimed courses are more expensive.
Some states charge fees in addition to the course fee.
Some course providers hide fees and pricing information.

Table of Contents

Typical Cost of a Boating License
Boating License Fee Breakdown
Types of Courses and Costs
Total Cost of a Boating License by State
Staff Picks for the Best Value Course

Typical Cost of a boating license

Boating can be an expensive hobby! The cost of owning or even renting a boat has increased a LOT over the last decade. If you want to start enjoying the boating life, get ready to pony up some cash.

But we have some good news for boating newbies — the cost of a boating license hasn’t experienced quite the same price hikes as the rest of the boating industry. Boating license prices have increased slightly over the last decade but still fall into the ‘affordable’ category.

The cost of obtaining a boating license can vary from free to upwards of $60 depending on the below factors:

The State in which you are being certified
The type of course you choose
- Online or In-Person
- Timed or Untimed
The course provider

Most courses fall into the $30-50 range.

Boating License Fee Breakdown

The total cost of a boating license can be broken down into a few buckets.

Course Fee ($0 – 60)
Additional State Fee ($5 – $25)
Fulfillment Fees ($5-15)
Hidden Fees (😡🤬👎🤮)

Course Fees

The course provider charges this fee, and it will vary by the provider you choose. Most online providers charge a course fee because they’ve done a lot of work to bring the license straight to you, on your mobile device…sitting on the couch. You don’t have to go anywhere or sit in a classroom for the weekend. Quite honestly, the time you save and the convenience is worth the price of an online course.

State Fees

These fees are charged by the state and apply to all providers. Basically, you’re not escaping this fee. It is typically just a cost recovery fee for processing and fulfilling your boating certificate. Not every state has a state fee, which brings me to fulfillment fees.

Fulfillment Fees

When a state decides to delegate the certificate processing and fulfillment to course providers, you may see this cost recovered by the provider in the form of a shipping & handling fee. This is usually nominal.

Hidden Fees (😡🤬👎🤮)

This is a warning. You may come across fees that are unnecessary, hidden, or confusing. As a general rule of thumb look for transparency in pricing. If prices aren’t listed before registration, give the provider a call to ask about the fees before you sign up. Or…even better, move on to a provider that transparently lists their price.

Let’s look at some real examples you can go see right now:

👎 A ‘free’ provider automatically adds a $20 donation to your cart. (In fairness, they do tell you…if you read close enough)

👎 A prominent provider expires the course after 90 days and charges $15 per month to continue.

👎 A prominent provider does not show ANY pricing information until after registration.

Types of Boating Courses and their Costs

There are four different types of courses available to get your boating license.

In-Person Classroom
In-Person Classroom & On-Water
Online Timed
Online Untimed

In-Person Courses

These courses are often free and held by the state or non-profit organizations. You may even be able to find a practical on-water course for hands-on learning. What you learn in these classes will be top-notch and best prepare you to operate a boat.

To find these classes, visit your state agency’s website (linked below).

Online Courses

Online courses can be timed or untimed.

🙋‍♂️ Ok but what does that mean?!

A: Great question. Let me try to explain this clearly.

Timed Courses

Timed courses require students to study the course material for a minimum amount of time. This time requirement is enforced by a timer on each page of the course. You cannot advance to the next page in the course until that page’s timer expires. Pages will not auto-advance.

Untimed Courses

Untimed courses do not enforce page-level times and rely more on the student demonstrating competency in a subject area to advance the course. The student works through the material more at their own pace.

🙋‍♂️ Untimed sounds way better. Why is there even a timed option?

A: Ready for a lightning history lesson?

Online boating courses started in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. At this time, there wasn’t the interactive learning and education capabilities there are today. It was basically a book online. So to make sure boaters actually read the material and studied, page timers were mandated for all boating courses.

As learning and education technology advanced, there began to be less of a need for page timers IF the course implemented this interactivity.

So now, there are two standards for online course providers governed by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). Traditional courses (AKA page turners) require page timers. Interactive courses do not.

TLDR:

Traditional Timed Courses are Less Expensive but may require lengthier, more arduous course experience.

Interactive Untimed courses truly advance at the student’s pace and the price is more expensive.

Total Cost of a Boating License by State

State	Course Fee	State Fee	Total Cost
Alabama	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Alaska	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Arizona	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Arkansas	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
California	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Colorado	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Connecticut	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Delaware	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Florida	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Georgia	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Hawaii	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Idaho	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Illinois	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Indiana	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Iowa	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Kansas	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Kentucky	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Louisiana	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Maine	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Maryland	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Massachusetts	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Michigan	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Minnesota	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Mississippi	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Missouri	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Montana	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Nebraska	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Nevada	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
New Hampshire	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
New Jersey	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
New Mexico	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
New York	$30-$60	$15	$45-$75
North Carolina	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
North Dakota	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Ohio	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Oklahoma	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Oregon	$30-$60	$20	$50-$80
Pennsylvania	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Rhode Island	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
South Carolina	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
South Dakota	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Tennessee	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Texas	$30-$60	$11	$41-$71
Utah	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Vermont	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Virginia	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Washington	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
West Virginia	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Wisconsin	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60
Wyoming	$30-$60	$0	$30-$60