A California boater is fined for not carrying the vessel operator card. When is the fine waived?HNC 678.15(c)
A California court orders a boater to pass a boating safety course after a card violation. How long does the boater have to give the court proof?HNC 678.15(d)
A California teenager has no vessel operator card. Under whose direct supervision may the teen still operate an engine-propelled vessel?HNC 678.11(c)(2)
A resident of a foreign country boats in California and meets that country's requirements. For how long is the visitor exempt from the California card?HNC 678.11(c)(1)
A resident of another state boats in California and meets that state's requirements. For how long is the visitor exempt from the California card?HNC 678.11(c)(1)
Besides a fine, what must a court order a person convicted of violating California's vessel operator card article to do?HNC 678.15(d)
California phased in its vessel operator card by age. Which group had to carry it first, from January 1, 2018?HNC 678.11(b)
Does the operator of a rental vessel need a California vessel operator card?HNC 678.11(c)(4)
For how long is a California vessel operator card valid?HNC 678(c)
Show all 74 questions (65 more)
Vessel operator card, continued
In California, which vessels does the vessel operator card requirement cover?HNC 678.11(a)
Since January 1, 2025, who in California must hold a vessel operator card to operate an engine-propelled vessel, unless exempt?HNC 678.11(b)
What must a person give the division to be issued a California vessel operator card?HNC 678(b)
Where must the California vessel operator card be while its holder operates an engine-propelled vessel?HNC 678.11(a)
Which of these people is exempt from carrying a California vessel operator card?HNC 678.11(c)(5)
Operator ages and supervision 6
A California 13-year-old wants to drive a 90 horsepower ski boat. What does the law require?HNC 658.5(b)
A California adult lets a 12-year-old take a 25 horsepower boat out alone. Who has committed an infraction?HNC 658.5(d)
HNC 658.5 lets a person under 16 run a motor dinghy alone in one case. Which is it?HNC 658.5(a)
In California, above what motor size may a person under 16 not operate a vessel alone?HNC 658.5(a)
May an 11-year-old operate a 40 horsepower motorboat in California with an adult aboard?HNC 658.5
Which vessel may a California 14-year-old operate alone under HNC 658.5?HNC 658.5(a)
Life jackets 7
A California barefoot skier chooses a water ski wetsuit over a life jacket. What must the tow vessel carry?HNC 658.3(d)(2)
From what length must a California recreational vessel carry a throwable flotation device in addition to the wearable ones?HNC 658.3(b)
How many wearable flotation devices must a California recreational vessel have on board?HNC 658.3(a)
In California, children under what age must wear a life jacket on a recreational vessel that is underway?HNC 658.3(c)
On a California personal watercraft, which riders does HNC 658.3 require to wear a life jacket?HNC 658.3(d)
Under HNC 658.3, when is a vessel "underway"?HNC 658.3(g)
When may a young child be aboard a California recreational vessel underway without wearing a life jacket?HNC 658.3(c)
Speed near swimmers and landings 8
A California city wants its own boating ordinance. Which subject is one that HNC 660 allows it to cover?HNC 660(a)
A uniformed California peace officer lawfully orders a vessel under way to stop. What must the vessel do?HNC 663.6
For California's 100-foot swimmer rule, is a water skier counted as a person bathing?HNC 655.2(a)
What does HNC 655(a) forbid in the use of a vessel or water skis?HNC 655(a)
What is the speed limit for a motor vessel within 100 feet of a person swimming in California, where no local rule applies?HNC 655.2(a)
Which of these is on California's list of places a motor vessel must pass within 200 feet of at five miles per hour or less?HNC 655.2(a)
Which vessels may show the distinctive blue light in California?HNC 652.5
Within what distance of a beach frequented by bathers does California's five mile per hour limit apply?HNC 655.2(a)
Towing skiers 5
A ski line trails from a California tow vessel with nobody on it. Must the ski flag be shown?HNC 658.7(a)
California requires a second person aboard to watch a towed skier. What is the youngest that person may be?HNC 658(a)
During which hours does California prohibit towing a water skier, where no local rule sets other hours?HNC 658(b)
What does HNC 658(d) forbid a California boat operator to do with the vessel or towrope?HNC 658(d)
Which condition requires a California tow vessel to display a ski flag?HNC 658.7(a)
Personal watercraft and cut-off switches 8
A California covered vessel has its main helm inside an enclosed cabin. Does the cut-off switch rule of HNC 655.7(e) apply?HNC 655.7(e)
A California personal watercraft has a lanyard-type engine cut-off switch. What must the operator do with the lanyard above displacement speed?HNC 655.7(a)
California's cut-off switch rule for power-driven "covered vessels" applies to vessels of what overall length?HNC 655.7(e)
During which hours does California close the water to personal watercraft?HNC 655.7(d)
The engine cut-off switch on a California personal watercraft has been altered so that it cannot work. May the craft be operated?HNC 655.7(b)
On a California personal watercraft, wake jumping counts as unsafe or reckless operation inside what distance of the other vessel?HNC 655.7(c)
Which description matches a personal watercraft as HNC 651 defines it?HNC 651(v)
Which maneuver does HNC 655.7 name as unsafe or reckless operation of a personal watercraft?HNC 655.7(c)
Boating under the influence 8
A California adult takes a recreational vessel out after drinking. What blood alcohol level makes that illegal?HNC 655(c)
A convicted California boater is found to have willfully refused a chemical test. What may the court do?HNC 655.5
A peace officer finds the operator of a non-recreational vessel in California with 0.01 percent blood alcohol. What happens?HNC 655.05
A person under 21 operates a motorized vessel in California. At what blood alcohol level is that an infraction?HNC 655.6(a)
Besides a fine, what must a person under 21 found in violation of HNC 655.6 do?HNC 655.6(d)
Does California's boating under the influence law cover a person on water skis?HNC 655(b)
What blood alcohol limit does California set for the operator of a vessel other than a recreational vessel?HNC 655(d)
Within how long after operation does a chemical test of 0.08 percent raise the presumption under HNC 655(h)?HNC 655(h)
Accidents and officers 7
A California bystander helps in good faith at a boating accident. When is the bystander protected from civil damages?HNC 656(b)
A California operator damages an unattended boat and cannot find its owner. What must the operator leave?HNC 656.1(b)
A person disappears in a California boating accident and no peace officer is at the scene. What must the operator do?HNC 656.3
A person is injured in a California boating accident. Besides giving name, address and registration number, what must the operator do?HNC 656.2
After a California boating accident, what is the operator's first duty toward other people affected?HNC 656(a)
After leaving that written notice, whom must the California operator notify without unnecessary delay?HNC 656.1(b)
May a California boating accident report be used at a damages trial as evidence of negligence?HNC 656(e)
Mufflers, noise and rentals 5
On which California waters must a motorized recreational vessel have a working muffler at all times?HNC 654(b)
What must be true before a California boat livery hands a vessel to a renter?HNC 674
What noise level applies to a California recreational vessel when measured from the shoreline?HNC 654.05(a)
What record must a California boat livery keep of each rental, and for how long?HNC 673
What stationary noise level may a California recreational vessel with an engine made in 1993 or later not exceed?HNC 654.05(a)
Numbering and the certificate of number 6
A California sailboat has no motor. Up to what length is it exempt from numbering?CVC 9873(e)
A California vessel has been issued an identifying number. On which part of the hull does it go?CVC 9850 and 9853.2
A vessel numbered in another state changes its state of principal use to California. After how long in California must it be numbered here?CVC 9873(a)
Where must the certificate of number be whenever a California vessel is in use?CVC 9853.2
Which of these undocumented vessels is exempt from California numbering?CVC 9873(e)
Which vessels must be currently numbered to use California waters, unless an exemption applies?CVC 9850
How this list was compiled: Written only from California statute. The Harbors and Navigation Code, Division 3, Chapter 5: Article 1 (sections 651, 652.5, 654, 654.05, 655, 655.05, 655.2, 655.5, 655.6, 655.7, 656, 656.1, 656.2, 656.3, 658, 658.3, 658.5, 658.7, 660, 663.6, 673 and 674) and Article 1.4 (sections 678, 678.11 and 678.15), each read on the Legislature's site, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml, on 2026-09-30. Each question names its section and links to it. Section 678 issues the vessel operator card on proof of passing an approved vessel operator examination or an approved course that includes an examination; no section read gives the examination's length or pass mark, so none is used. The numbering questions come from the California Vehicle Code, Division 3.5, sections 9850, 9853.2 and 9873, read on the same site the same day. Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations was not read and nothing is asked from it. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the statute text; nothing is copied from the state's boating safety course book, a boating course, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators or another practice test.
How it works
This unofficial California boating license practice test asks only state law: the Harbors and Navigation Code, with the section under each question. Navigation rules and boat handling are not here. Code read September 2026.
Read the full guide
The card for everyone, 15 horsepower, children under 13
Since January 1, 2025 every operator of an engine-propelled vessel carries the vessel operator card unless exempt (HNC 678.11). Nobody under 16 runs more than 15 horsepower alone; from 12 to 15 a supervising adult of 18 rides along (658.5). Children under 13 wear a life jacket underway (658.3), and the limit near swimmers is five miles per hour (655.2).
What the code says about the examination
Section 678 issues the card for life on proof of passing an approved vessel operator examination, or an approved course that includes one. The code gives no number of questions and no pass mark, so this page shows no pass line. After a conviction under the article, a court orders a boating safety course (678.15).
Learn the two distances in section 655.2 together: 100 feet from a swimmer, 200 feet from a beach, swimming float or landing float.
Questions and answers
Who needs a California boater card?
The code calls it a vessel operator card. Since January 1, 2025, HNC 678.11 requires it of every person operating an engine-propelled vessel on state waters, whatever their age, unless an exemption applies, such as operating a rental vessel.
How old do you have to be to drive a boat in CA?
Sixteen to run a motor over 15 horsepower alone. HNC 658.5 lets a person aged 12 to 15 do it only with a supervisor of at least 18 aboard. Sailboats up to 30 feet and a dinghy between a moored vessel and shore are excepted.
Is this boating exam practice test free, and is it California's own?
It is free, and it is not the state's. This is not a government website and is not affiliated with California's boating agency, which has reviewed none of it. Every question was written for this site from the code section it cites.