Boating license rules in Connecticut
Residents, CT property owners and CT registered vessel owners operating any motorboat, or a sailboat 19 1/2 feet or longer, need an SBC, CPWO or USCG license.1
The details
- Engine size covered
- Children under 12 with a certificate may not operate a vessel over 10 hp unless an adult 18 or older holding an SBC or CPWO is aboard.1
- Personal watercraft (jet skis)
- PWC operators need a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation. Under 16 may operate a PWC only with an 18 or older CPWO holder onboard.1
- Minimum age to operate
- No one under 16 may operate a vessel engaged in tubing or waterskiing. Under 12 may not operate over 10 hp without a qualified adult aboard.1
- Card and course cost
- Temporary certificate costs $50 and is valid three months. Permanent certificate and course fees not listed.2
- Cards from other states
- For PWC, Connecticut recognizes CPWOs from New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Nonresidents boating over 60 days a year need a CT certificate.12
- Exemptions
- No certificate needed on 10 hp limit inland waters for electric motors of 106 lbs thrust or less. USCG license holders need no SBC for non-PWC vessels.1
The rules are set by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Boating Division.
Sources
- Who Needs a Certifcate?, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, checked 1 November 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions: Certification, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, checked 1 November 2026
Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source we used only because the official page could not be read.