Pennsylvania Boaters Now Have Low-Cost Online Boating Safety Education Course from BoatUS Foundation

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 3, 2024 - Keystone State boaters now have a low-cost online Pennsylvania Boating Safety Course offered by the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water and approved by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC).

Pennsylvania requires all residents born on or after January 1, 1982 - currently those approximately age 42 or younger - to have in possession a Boating Safety Education Certificate while operating any motor driven vessel greater than 25 hp on state waters. All PWC operators must also obtain and have in their possession a Boating Safety Education Certificate. Out-of-state boaters must have a certificate issued for a course approved by NASBLA.

To receive a certificate, boaters must successfully complete an approved boating safety course - either online or through in-person instruction. The new online Pennsylvania course from the BoatUS Foundation is both PFBC and NASBLA approved, meeting all requirements and valid for a lifetime.

"Pennsylvania is making boating safety instruction more affordable and easier to fit into today's busy lives," said BoatUS Foundation Education Program Manager, Alan Dennison. "We know hectic schedules sometimes make in-class attendance difficult, or there may not be a classroom course nearby." The Foundation course is offered at $17, the lowest cost for any online, approved Pennsylvania boating safety course, making boating safety education available to all.

The BoatUS Foundation's Pennsylvania course typically takes four to eight hours to complete and course-takers can start, pause and restart where they left off at any time. Most funding for the course, which contains six lessons and quizzes along with a final exam, comes from donations by members of BoatUS, the nation's largest advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters. Of the $17 the Foundation collects from each student, $15 is remitted to PFBC for boater certification, while $2 is retained for a credit card processing fee.

Upon course completion, course-takers may immediately print their Pennsylvania boating safety certificate, which is valid for 60 days. Students will then receive a PFBC-issued card in the mail, four to six weeks after completion.

More than 2.5 million students have taken the BoatUS Foundation's free online Boating Safety Education Courses to date, which provides approved boating safety education in 37 states including Pennsylvania.

For more, go to BoatUS.org/Pennsylvania.

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About the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water:

The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the more than 725,000 members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nonprofit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America's waterways, and keeping boating safe for all. A range of safe and clean boating courses - including the nation's largest free online boating safety course - can be found at BoatUS.org/Courses. The Foundation is rated 4 out of 4 stars by Charity Navigator, an independent charity assessment organization.