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  1. A graphic reading BE A SAFE BOATER

    TAKE THE WA BOAT SAFE PLEDGE

    Pledge to boat safely and responsibly, and encourage those around you to do the same. LEARN MORE
  2. Man on a jetski

    BOATING RENTAL CHECKLIST

    Find safety information, rulers for renters and rental agencies. LEARN MORE
  3. Boat with clouds in the sky

    GET YOUR EDUCATION CARD!

    Be safe this boating season. Take a boating safety course and get your card today! Learn More
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  1. Boating in Washington


    Recreational boating is a popular pastime in Washington; just ask any of the several hundred thousand residents who own at least one canoe, kayak, row boat, personal watercraft, stand up paddle board, drift boat, runabout, sailboat, motor yacht or some other type of recreational vessel. Boats and boaters (that includes paddlers and paddle craft) are everywhere! 

    Boating, however, isn't without its risks. Boaters who take chances, inexperienced boaters, ill-prepared boaters and just plain unlucky boaters are involved in accidents throughout the year. Sometimes with tragic, even deadly, results. The chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest can be an unforgiving environment, and safety must be on the minds of everyone who plays in and around it.
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About the Boat Program

  1. Keep up with Washington Parks
  1. About the program


    Washington State Parks manages more than 100 state parks throughout the state, and administers programs beyond park boundaries, one of which is the Boating Program. The Boating Program provides leadership in recreational boating safety and environmental education and outreach. The goal of the program is to reduce accidents and fatalities, increase stewardship of Washington waterways, and keep recreational boating a safe, accessible and enjoyable pastime.

The boating program’s responsibilities include:

  1. • Administering the Mandatory Boater Education Program,   which includes issuing Washington State Boater
      Education card.

    • Conducting public safety campaigns and promoting safe-
      boating behaviors.

    • Monitoring the use of vessel registration fees by local
      governments.

    • Providing funding, training and recognition to
      Washington’s maritime law enforcement so they are well
      equipped to educate the public, enforce recreational
      boating laws, investigate accidents, and assist boaters 
      in distress.
  1. • Managing the statewide recreational boating accident
      reporting system.


    • Administering the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program,
      which includes providing funding for waste disposal
      systems to service recreational vessels and boater
      education programs to promote public awareness
      about boat sewage and its proper disposal.


    Funding for these programs comes from federal grants, state vessel registration fees and fuel taxes paid for by boaters. Boater paid fees goes back to the boating community in the form of boating access facilities, boating safety education and law enforcement.
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Contact Us

  1. Boating Programs
    P.O. Box 42650
    Olympia, WA 98504-2650
  2.  
  3. Phone: 360-902-8555
    Fax: 360-586-6603
    Email

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