New MA Boating Safety Law Takes Effect April 1

Heading home after a day on the water. Photo by Tom Richardson

A new law requiring boaters to have a boating-safety certificate to operate a vessel within Massachusetts waters will go into effect next week.

Massachusetts governor Maura Healey signed into law the Hanson Milone Safe Boating Act in January 2025. The legislation, which was first introduced more than 10 years ago, establishes a state boater-education program requiring anyone operating a boat in Massachusetts waters to have a boating-safety certificate. It also requires the certificate to be present on the boat while it is being operated.

Anyone born after January 1, 1989, has until April 1, 2026, to obtain their certificate. However, no operator shall be assessed a penalty until September 1, 2026.

Older folks have another two years. Anyone born on or before January 1, 1989, must obtain their certificate before April 1, 2028.

The legislation provides exemptions to merchant mariners, active members of the armed forces who are qualified to operate a boat, or students of a secondary or maritime school or college who operate motorboats as part of their instruction. Individuals who previously obtained a safe-boating certificate will not be required to retake the safe-boating exam. The law also recognizes certificates issued in other states with safe-boating requirements.

The legislation was hailed by public-safety officials, the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, and the U.S. Coast Guard. According to Coast Guard statistics, “where instruction was known, 75% of all [boating-related] deaths occurred on vessels where the operator did not receive boating-safety education.”