With popular boating lakes in Kentucky such as Lake Cumberland, Lake Barkley, and Lake Kentucky, the bluegrass state has become a serious destination for boaters and paddlers. BOATsmart! Provides a free online knowledge base on the latest recreational boating laws and regulations in Kentucky, including boating equipment requirements, boating and right-of-way rules, and restrictions that may apply on Kentucky state waterways. U.S. waterways are threatened by aquatic plants, fish, and foreign invertebrates. Aquatic nuisance species (ANS) are transmitted by boats and nautical equipment from external waterways. As soon as the ANS is introduced into a new waterway, it detaches from the contaminated vessel and spreads like wildfire. ANS include: watermilfoil, zebra mussel and quagga mussels. Go boating in Kentucky – it`s so easy to get in the water! There are vast navigable bodies of water that run through the state, and docks and boat rental facilities on Kentucky`s popular lakes and rivers are easily accessible from most cities! All boating safety training materials to obtain your boater training card are available from BOATERexam.com®. Simply visit our Kentucky Safe Boating Course section to access the training materials. The Kentucky Safe Boating Course is approved by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The BOATsmart! The Kentucky Boating Safety Course is officially recognized by the United States Coast Guard because it meets the standards of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program. BOATsmart! The Kentucky Boating Safety Course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) because it meets and exceeds U.S.

standards for nautical education. NASBLA develops training standards for boat safety and represents vessel rights administrators in all 50 U.S. states and territories. It takes at least 3 hours to get your Kentucky Boater Education Certificate online. Once you have completed the online course and the official test, you can print a temporary map and start browsing immediately. Your permanent card will be sent to you by BOATsmart! within 4 weeks. You can take your secure boat exam directly on the Internet at BOATERexam.com®. Once you have passed the exam, your boater training card will be sent to your home.

In the meantime, you can print a certificate of completion that can be used as a temporary card to meet Kentucky boat regulations until your permanent boater training card arrives. Many boaters mistakenly use the term “Kentucky Boating License” when referring to their boater education card. The boater`s education card is NOT a boat licence. Unlike a driver`s license, your boater education card cannot be revoked and is valid for life. “77 percent of pleasure craft fatalities occurred on a vessel where the operator had no safety instructions,” Steger said. Whether you`re coming from a big KY town like beautiful Lexington in Derby Country or Louisville, or maybe a cozy little town like Bardstown, there will definitely be a boating option in the next bend! Oh, and in case we forgot to mention it, fishing is really, really good in Kentucky! The bill, sponsored by Senator Ralph Alvarado, would require people to carry a secure boat certification card when operating a boat, or face penalties. The Kentucky Boater Education Card (also known as the Kentucky Boat License) is proof that a boater has completed and successfully completed an approved boater training course. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources currently offers mandatory boater training for anyone between the ages of 12 and 17 who wishes to operate a motorboat with more than 10 horsepower (including personal watercraft) in Kentucky waters. Many boaters who don`t fall into this category still want to get the Kentucky Boater Education Card so they can save on their boat insurance. In June 2021, Joey Reed, 43, died in a tragic boating accident, leaving behind five children and his partner Jenifer Steger. When purchasing a boat, the boat owner must apply for title within 15 days of the purchase/transfer of ownership of the boat.

Steger called the lake his happy place, but said he had to be safe. She added that it`s not about keeping someone away from the water, but about making them aware of the rules and the other people who are there with them. It is illegal to operate a boat or vessel, including personal watercraft, to handle water skis, surfboards or other similar devices while intoxicated or under the influence of any other substance that interferes with the ability to drive. There is no minimum age to take the Kentucky Boater Training Course and become certified. In Kentucky, it is illegal to drink alcoholic beverages in public places (this excludes licensed establishments). Kentucky`s waterways are considered public places. In addition, in a public place, a person who is under the influence of alcohol, so that he can harass or endanger himself or others, is arrested. Kentucky boat operators between the ages of 12 and 17 must obtain a Kentucky Boater Education Certificate to legally operate a boat with an engine of more than 10 horsepower. If a boat is transferred or purchased, the seller must notify the district official of the transfer of ownership within 15 days.