Classes run at various times around the state, so many people have the opportunity to attend. Students must register. Call 410-643-8502, the Natural Resources Police Safety Education department, for specific information about the Maryland Basic Boating Course. The course runs for a minimum of eight hours with mandatory attendance at all sessions. Students must score 80 percent or above on the final exam to obtain a certificate.
Register online and learn at a self-paced rate. Students must spend over three and a half hours in the computer program, which times the student and will not permit students to skip sections. Each unit ends with a quiz that students must pass. If students fail the quiz, they must study the unit again and retake the quiz. At the end of the course, students have the opportunity to take a practice exam or go directly to the final exam. Take as many practice exams as you need to gain confidence in your preparation for the final exam, which must be passed with an 80 percent or above. Students must repeat the course after two failures of the final exam.
Once students pass the online final exam, they pay a one-time $25 fee. You can print a temporary certificate valid for a month from your computer while you await the official certificate that should arrive in the mail in a week.
If unable to take the safety course in the classroom or online, students may take an equivalency exam after studying the Boat Maryland textbook obtained from the Natural Resources Police Safety Education department. Then register for the multiple-choice exam at one of many test sites. Students must pass the exam with at least an 80 percent. If students fail the exam twice, they must take the class.