CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Those who want to operate a boat in Massachusetts next year will be required to obtain a safety course certificate if they were born after January 1, 1989.
The new Massachusetts law goes into effect on April 1, 2026, requires a mandatory boater education program for all motorized vessels and personal watercraft operators. The Hanson-Milone Boater Safety Act was signed into law by Governor Healey on January 8. The effort was created to improve safety by providing boaters with the necessary education when navigating state waterways.
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In-person courses can be found on the Mass.gov website, while two online options are also available: a traditional course at boat-ed.com for $44.95 and an interactive course at ilearntoboat.com for $59.95. These options cater to different learning preferences and ensure that residents can easily access boating education.
Those who participated in an online course before 2020, the Massachusetts Environmental Police are unable to issue replacement certificates…