The California Boating Safety Course: Produced and copyrighted by the Department of Boating and Waterways, this correspondence course allows boaters to study at home at their own pace and covers state and federal boating law, rules of the road, boat handling, required equipment, navigational aids, accident reporting, and special topics.

Approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard, this course includes an optional exam with two answer sheets. The exam consists of 50 questions. Once completed, the answer sheet can be forwarded to the department for grading. Those who successfully complete the course are awarded Certificates of Completion which are recognized by many insurance companies for discounts on boat insurance policies.

How To Take the Course

You may order The California Boating Safety Course or you can download a PDF version (2.9 MB) of the course which can be read offline. You can take the test by contacting the department to obtain a Scantron form that must be completed and mailed to the department for processing. You can obtain a Scantron form by e-mailing a request to sbetzler@dbw.ca.gov or by calling (916) 263-8183. Scantron forms are not available via fax or e-mail. In exchange for successfully completing the course, we will mail you a certificate of completion (please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery).