Need to take a NY boating safety course this year? What you need to know - newyorkupstate.com

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Need to take a New York State-approved boater safety course?

Last year a new state law took effect, mandating that all motor boat operators, regardless of age, will need a boating safety certificate beginning in 2025. The legislation includes a five-year, phase in plan.

Both online and in-classroom boater safety courses are currently available, according to Brian Nearing, a spokesman for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which oversees the courses. Last year, the vast majority of courses taken were online. That trend will undoubtedly continue this coming year.

As for in-classroom safe boating courses, they “may now resume in counties that are in Phase 4 re-opening,” according to the Parks website. “Contact the instructor listed to confirm if the course you are interested in attending is still being offered. Students must wear face coverings during courses whenever social distancing cannot be maintained.”

The legislation, called Brianna’s Law (S.5685/A,4853.A) was signed into law in 2019 and took effect Jan. 1, 2020. Prior passage of this law, only boaters born after May 1, 1996 were required to complete a boater safety course.

Brianna’s Law expanded that requirement. Under the 5-year phase-in plan:

*All motor boat operators born on or before Jan. 1, 1993 needed a boating safety certificate beginning in 2020;

*Those born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 will need a boating safety certificate beginning in 2022;

*Those born on or after Jan. 1, 1983 will need a boating safety certificate beginning in 2023;

*Those born on or after Jan. 1. 1978 will need a boating safety certificate beginning in 2024;

All motor boat operators regardless of age will need a boating safety certificate beginning in 2025.

Students must be at least 10 years of page to participate in both classroom or online courses.

Those who pass the course will be issued a boating card and required to have it on their person when on the water. Failure to do so could result in a fine between $100 and $250, depending on the circumstances.

An alternative to carrying the boating card is to go to the state Department of Motor Vehicles and have it noted on your driver’s license that you have successfully completed the course.

The cost of these courses vary depending on who’s offering them.

In-person courses can be taken for free up or up to $65 and more. Check with the instructor ahead of time for the price. For those 18 or older, in addition to the class fee an extra $10 fee is charged for your boating safety certificate from state Parks.

Online courses, vary as well, with costs as high as $49.95, with the cost for the boating safety certificate included in the cost.

Approved courses include those offered by NYS Parks, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadron or U.S. Powerboating. See the NYS Parks website for dates of a boating safety class being offered near you and information about the state-approved online courses.

Those who’ve previously taken a state-approved boater safety course and don’t have a certificate to prove it, won’t have to take the course again. A new certificate can be obtained through the New York State Parks website at a cost of $10.

Certain allowances to this law have been made for visitors to New York, persons renting a boat from a livery and persons purchasing a new boat for the first time. See the NYS Parks website about this and other frequently asked questions.

The classes, both in-person and online, last about 8 hours, which includes the final test. A quick, informal survey of courses being offered illustrates the various costs.

Steve Holger, an independent contractor, is offering an in-person class today (Valentine’s Day) and several other dates this year at Seager Marine in Canandaigua in Ontario County. He’s charging $50 per person, $25 for those under 18 and for veterans.

On March 6, Christian Misciagna, of the NY B.A.S.S. Youth program, is offering a course at New Life Liverpool Church in Liverpool in Onondaga County. Cost of the course is free but students must pay the $10 to get their boating safety certificate, he said.

Allan Miller, is offering a two-session class on April 6-7 at the Malta Community Center in Malta in Saratoga County. Cost is $51 for Malta residents; $56 for non-residents, plus the $10 for the boater safety certificate. The money raised by the class will go toward the Community Center, he said.

Miller said the online course is convenient for many, but added that the in-person classes offers the opportunity for students to ask questions about local bodies of water, resources available and other bits of important information.

Amanda Dudley, director of education for the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, on the St. Lawrence River in Jefferson County, is once again offering boater safety courses in conjunction with the National Coast Guard Auxiliary. However, just like last year the courses will be all online (a Zoom format) and cost $35 to take.

“Our smallest class size (last year) was 5, the biggest 12,” she said,. “We held them one hour a night, Monday through Thursday for two weeks. This year, we’re doing two- hour classes Monday through Thursday, finishing things up in one week.”

The classes will be offered from June to September, she said.

“We find that people take their safety course when they’re thinking of boating,” Dudley said. “We had a November session and we had to beg people to sign up.”

The legislation mandating the taking of a boater safety course is named after Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year-old girl killed in a boating incident in Long Island’s Great South Bay in 2005. The girl’s mother, Gina Lieneck of Deer Park, lobbied lawmakers to pass the boater safety bill.

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which administers the law, estimates that nearly one million boaters will have to take the safety course before the end of the phase-in period Jan, 1, 2025.

“In 2019, prior to the implementation of Brianna’s Law, about 24,700 students took either an online or classroom course,” Nearing said. “In 2020, more than 40,000 students took the course, with the majority choosing online courses.

He added that in-person courses were not offered from mid-March until early July last year under Gov. Cuomo’s NY Pause order.

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