Q. What is the "West Virginia Boater Education Card"?
A.
The Boater Education Card (also referred to as the West Virginia Boaters License) is proof of competency of the basic rules of the water that all boaters should know. The Boater Education Card must be carried with you whenever you are operating a powered watercraft to avoid high fines.
Q. Do I have to get the West Virginia boaters license?
A.
If you are born on or after December 31st, 1986 you are required to get the Boater Education Card to operate any powered watercraft including PWCs.
Q. What is the minimum age to operate a powered vessel (excluding Personal Watercrafts
- PWCs) in West Virginia?
A.
Everyone may operate a vessel of up to 10 hp if they have passed a boating safety course approved by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Anyone 16 years of age or older may operate any motorized vessel if they have passed a boating safety course, approved by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Children aged from 12 to 15 years of age may operate any motorized vessel if they have passed a boating safety course approved by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and are accompanied by an adult.
Q. What is the minimum age to operate a Personal Watercraft (PWC) in West Virginia?
A.
Children must be at least 15 years of age and they must have successfully completed a boating safety course approved by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources in order to operate a PWC on their own.
Children aged 12-14 years old may operate a PWC if an adult is onboard with them
and they have passed a boating safety course approved by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Q. How do I get my West Virginia boaters license?
A.
The steps required to get your West Virginia boaters license are as follows:
- Study the West Virginia boating safety course manual
- Take the West Virginia online boating exam
- Pay for your exam
- Print off your Certificate of Completion
- Wait for your Boater Education Card to arrive in the mail 3-5 weeks later
For a complete overview of the West Virginia online boating exam process, please
visit our West Virginia Boating License Online Exam Process
overview page.
Q. What if I don't pass the West Virginia Boating Test?
A. No problem. At BoaterExam.com™, we have a Pay ony when you Pass policy.
There is no cost to retry the exam if you do not pass. You
will receive your score and be allowed to review any of your wrong answers. You
can then review the course material and take the exam again at no cost to you.
Q. How much does the exam cost?
A.
The cost of the exam is $24.95. There is no cost to get your Boater Safety Education Card which will be mailed to you home within 3-5 weeks.
Q. What payment methods are accepted?
A. We accept payments by VISA, Mastercard, and PayPal.
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Q. What is the "Certificate of Completion"?
A.
The Certificate of Completion is a temporary proof of competency and proves that you took a boater education course and passed.
Q. When will I receive my Boater Education Card in the mail?
A.
Your card will arrive in 3-5 weeks from the date you take your exam.
Q. Do I have a time limit for the exam?
A.
No. The exam is not timed but inactive exams will be erased after 12 hours.
Q. Can I write the exam at any time? Day or Night?
A.
Yes. The exam is available to you at any time of the day, every day of the week.
Q. How many questions are on the exam?
A.
The exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions.
Q. What is the passing grade?
A.
The passing grade is 80%, or 48 correct answers out of 60 questions.
Q. Is anyone exempt from getting the Boater Education Card?
A.
Yes. The list of exemptions is as follows:
- Non West Virginia residents who are over 15 years old and who have a
NASBLA approved boater education card for their state of residence,
who are visiting for 60 days or less in a motorboat or personal watercraft
from another state.
- Non West Virginia residents visiting
for 90 days or less in a motorboat or personal watercraft from
a country other than the United States.
- A person who is operating a motorboat or personal watercraft in
connection with commercial purposes.
- A person who is operating a motorboat or personal watercraft which
was purchased by the person within the previous 45 days and
who has not been previously charged with a violation of any provision
of chapter twenty [§20] of the West Virginia Code
involving the use or registration of a motorboat or personal watercraft.
Q. What are the technical requirements for the online boating test?
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Minimum |
Recommended |
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Browser |
Internet Explorer 5.5+ or
Mozilla Firefox 1.0+ |
Internet Explorer 7 or
Mozilla Firefox 2.0 |
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Operating System |
Windows 98 or
Mac OS 9 |
Windows XP or
Mac OS X |
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Screen Resolution |
800x600 |
1024x768 |
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Internet Connection |
dial-up |
high-speed |