Mark W
Well-known member
Unclear to me that is......
So we have a boat in Wisconsin with a 200 hp motor. We are residents of MN. In looking at the MN regulations, our son who is 21 can operate the boat in MN. In a nutshell the regs state that if you are between 12-17, and operate a boat over 25 hp, you need to have passed a course saying you understand boating laws and regulations if you want to drive the boat unsupervised.
In Wisconsin the rules are quite a bit different. It states: A person at least 16 years old may operate a motorboat only if he or she has completed a boating safety course that is accepted by the Wisconsin DNR. A person born before January 1, 1989, is exempt from the safety course requirement. Reading further in the regs it says that other States boating safety courses are acceptable including Minnesota's.
So my question. If the boat is registered in MN but is being driven by a 21 year old kid on Wisconsin waters, does he need to have passed a boating safety course? MN doesn't require it, Wisconsin appears (still a bit murky) to require one but accepts other States certificates (which MN does not require).
Not a big deal but I am curious what would happen should our 21 year od be pulled over on our lake without a certificate of course completion. I am making him take the course (and our 25 year old daughter as well) but want to know what would happen between him completing the course and driving the boat without it.
We will be hunting ducks on these lakes. This makes the question sort of duck related.
Thanks -
Mark W
So we have a boat in Wisconsin with a 200 hp motor. We are residents of MN. In looking at the MN regulations, our son who is 21 can operate the boat in MN. In a nutshell the regs state that if you are between 12-17, and operate a boat over 25 hp, you need to have passed a course saying you understand boating laws and regulations if you want to drive the boat unsupervised.
In Wisconsin the rules are quite a bit different. It states: A person at least 16 years old may operate a motorboat only if he or she has completed a boating safety course that is accepted by the Wisconsin DNR. A person born before January 1, 1989, is exempt from the safety course requirement. Reading further in the regs it says that other States boating safety courses are acceptable including Minnesota's.
So my question. If the boat is registered in MN but is being driven by a 21 year old kid on Wisconsin waters, does he need to have passed a boating safety course? MN doesn't require it, Wisconsin appears (still a bit murky) to require one but accepts other States certificates (which MN does not require).
Not a big deal but I am curious what would happen should our 21 year od be pulled over on our lake without a certificate of course completion. I am making him take the course (and our 25 year old daughter as well) but want to know what would happen between him completing the course and driving the boat without it.
We will be hunting ducks on these lakes. This makes the question sort of duck related.
Thanks -
Mark W
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