• 85 questions

Rhode Island Boating License Practice Test: State Law Questions

Rhode Island's own boating statutes, state law only, with the section named under every answer.

What is the fewest questions the written test at the end of a Rhode Island boating safety course may have?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

Print covers the next 25 questions. Share this set copies a link to the same questions in the same order.

Exam mode: 25 questions, no time limit, 18 right to pass (70%).

More options

Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Bank checked October 5, 2026.

Next step Compare New Hampshire's certificate lawBoating in another state too? Open its bank

All 85 questions

Boating safety certificate 13

  • A Rhode Island boat livery rents out a boat with more than 10 horsepower to someone without the education. What must that renter do first? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(g)
  • For a Rhode Island operator born in 1990, propulsion machinery above what size brings in the boating safety education requirement? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(a)
  • How long does a new resident of Rhode Island have to meet the boating safety education requirement? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(g)
  • How many times may Rhode Island's boating challenge exam be given to one candidate before a program must be completed? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(f)
  • In Rhode Island a person without a certificate may operate under training if directly supervised by someone on board who meets the education rule and is at least what age? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(g)
  • Rhode Island requires boating safety education of a person born on or after which date before that person runs a vessel with more than 10 horsepower? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(a)
  • Under whose direct supervision is the written test given when a Rhode Island boating safety course ends? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(d)
Show all 85 questions (78 more)

Boating safety certificate, continued

  • What does section 46-22-9.8 set as the sanction for a first offense against Rhode Island's boating education rule? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(i)
  • What is the fewest questions the written test at the end of a Rhode Island boating safety course may have? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(d)
  • What must a Rhode Island certificate holder do when an authorized law enforcement officer asks for proof of compliance? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(e)
  • What passing grade do the Rhode Island General Laws set for the written boating safety test? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(d)
  • Which nonresidents are exempt from Rhode Island's boating education provisions while temporarily using its waters? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(g)
  • Whose approval must a boating safety education program have under the Rhode Island General Laws? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(a)

Life jackets 5

  • How many life preservers or similar devices must every vessel carry under Rhode Island's equipment section? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(e)
  • How must the life preservers on a Rhode Island vessel be placed? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(e)
  • Rhode Island's child flotation device rule applies on recreational vessels shorter than what length? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.2
  • Rhode Island's wear-it rule for young passengers on a moving boat covers children under what age? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.2
  • When may a twelve-year-old be without a flotation device on a Rhode Island recreational vessel that is underway? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.2

Speed limits and no-go areas 9

  • A Rhode Island swimming area is clearly marked off. Which craft does the statute still let in? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9(c)
  • During darkness or restricted visibility, how fast may a vessel go on a confined Rhode Island water such as a pond? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.5(a)
  • May a lower speed limit than the statewide numbers be posted on a Rhode Island pond? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.5(a)
  • What is Rhode Island's top speed in a harbor, inlet, pond or other confined body of water from sunrise to sunset? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.5(a)
  • What maximum speed may the Department of Environmental Management establish for boats in Rhode Island's public harbors? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9(c)
  • What must a boater do after any Rhode Island speeding violation of more than 10 miles per hour over the limit? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.5(b)
  • When does anchoring under a bridge count as interference with navigation in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9(d)
  • When may a vessel be made fast to a private pier in Rhode Island without the pier owner's consent? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9(e)
  • Which agencies may exceed Rhode Island's confined-water speed limits, and on what condition? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.5(b)

Towing, skiing and diver flags 9

  • Between which hours is water skiing prohibited on Rhode Island waters? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-12(b)
  • How close to a displayed diver's flag may a motorboat be operated in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-24(a)
  • How large must a diver's warning flag be when it is flown from the boat the diver is using in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-24(a)
  • How large must a diver's warning flag be when it is placed on a buoy in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-24(a)
  • How wide is the white stripe on a Rhode Island diver's warning flag? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-24(a)
  • Rhode Island wants a second person watching a towed skier. What is that person's minimum age? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-12(a)
  • Rhode Island's towing section sets aside its observer and after-dark limits for whom? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-12(c)
  • What does Rhode Island require of a diver's flag between sunset and sunrise? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-24(a)
  • What must a person riding a tube behind a vessel on Rhode Island waters wear? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-12(a)

Personal watercraft 11

  • For how long may the privilege to operate a personal watercraft be suspended for one reckless operation violation in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-4(a)
  • For which night-time period does section 46-27-2 shut Rhode Island waters to personal watercraft? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(a)
  • How does Rhode Island's Personal Watercraft Safety Act define headway speed? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-1
  • How must a personal watercraft launched from a Rhode Island shore travel to the area where operation is allowed? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(f)
  • Inside what distance of swimmers, divers, shore or moored vessels must a personal watercraft in Rhode Island keep to headway speed? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(e)
  • On a personal watercraft with a lanyard-type engine cutoff switch, where does Rhode Island law say the lanyard goes? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(j)
  • Rhode Island lists reckless acts on a personal watercraft. Which of these is on the list? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(b)
  • What power source makes a vessel a personal watercraft under Rhode Island's chapter 46-27? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-1
  • Which operators of a personal watercraft does section 46-22-9.8(h) require to have completed a boating safety education program in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.8(h)
  • Which riders does Rhode Island's personal watercraft chapter put in an approved flotation device? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(g)
  • Who is exempt from Rhode Island's nighttime ban on personal watercraft? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-27-2(a)

Alcohol and chemical tests 9

  • A boater arrested in Rhode Island for operating while intoxicated has a right to an examination by whom? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9(b)
  • For a boat operator 21 or older in Rhode Island, what blood alcohol level is prima facie evidence of intoxication? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-2
  • For a first violation with a blood alcohol level of .08 but under .1 percent, how long can a Rhode Island operator's right to run a watercraft be suspended? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-3(d)
  • For a watercraft operator under 21 in Rhode Island, what blood alcohol level is prima facie evidence of intoxication? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-2
  • What does a person agree to by operating a watercraft in waters under Rhode Island's jurisdiction? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-5(a)
  • When is a watercraft underway under Rhode Island's Alcohol Boating Safety Act? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-2
  • Which blood alcohol range counts as relevant evidence, short of prima facie evidence, for a Rhode Island operator of 21 or older? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-2
  • Who is the operator under Rhode Island's Alcohol Boating Safety Act? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-2
  • Within how many hours of an officer's probable cause must chemical tests of a Rhode Island boat operator be administered? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22.2-5(b)

Accidents, reports and officers 10

  • Above what dollar amount does an accident, vandalism or theft involving a vessel call for immediate notice in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-21
  • Above what dollar amount must the owner of a vessel in an accident send Rhode Island a written report? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-22
  • After a collision on Rhode Island waters, how far does an operator's duty to help the other people go? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-10
  • After a collision on Rhode Island waters, which details does the operator owe the injured and the owners of damaged property? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-10
  • Besides other penalties, what must a person convicted of a false distress call in Rhode Island pay? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-9.6
  • When is a Rhode Island vessel owner liable for injury caused by someone else's negligent operation of the vessel? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-15
  • Which officials may stop and board a vessel to enforce Rhode Island's boating chapter? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-17
  • Who may be given the immediate notice of a boating accident with an injury in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-21
  • Whose control of a vessel leads Rhode Island law to presume the owner knew and consented? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-15
  • Within how many days must a Rhode Island vessel owner forward the written report of a covered accident? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-22

Lights and equipment 8

  • For how long around an approved regatta may a competing motorboat use exhaust cutouts in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-8
  • From how far must every white light required by Rhode Island's motorboat section be visible on a dark, clear night? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(b)
  • How far must the colored lights on a Rhode Island motorboat be visible? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(b)
  • What exhaust arrangement must an outboard motor have under Rhode Island's muffler section? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-8
  • What lengths make a motorboat Class 1 under the Rhode Island General Laws? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(a)
  • Which boats are excepted from Rhode Island's bilge ventilation requirement? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(i)
  • Which class of motorboat is left out of Rhode Island's whistle requirement? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(d)
  • Which engines are excepted from Rhode Island's flame arrestor requirement for gasoline carburetors? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-5(h)

Numbers and registration 11

  • A motorboat numbered in another state is to be used on Rhode Island waters. After how long must its number be recorded with the department? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-6
  • A Rhode Island livery writes down each hiring of a vessel. For what period is that entry preserved? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-7(a)
  • Apart from the number Rhode Island awards, which other number may a motorboat carry on its bow? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(i)
  • How many days does the holder of a Rhode Island certificate of number have to report a change of address? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(h)
  • How often does the owner of a typical 18-foot motorboat file a registration application in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(a)
  • How old must a vessel of historic value be before its Rhode Island number may move to another historic vessel of the same owner? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(c)
  • Where must a Rhode Island motorboat display its identifying number? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-3
  • Where must the Rhode Island certificate of number be while the motorboat is in operation? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(a)
  • Which of these needs no Rhode Island number under the exemptions in section 46-22-6? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-6
  • With which agency does the owner of a motorboat file for registration in Rhode Island? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(a)
  • Within how many days must a Rhode Island owner report the destruction or abandonment of a numbered motorboat? R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-22-4(g)

How this list was compiled: Written only from Title 46 (Waters and Navigation) of the Rhode Island General Laws: chapter 46-22 (Regulation of Boats), sections 46-22-2 to 46-22-10, 46-22-12, 46-22-15, 46-22-17, 46-22-21, 46-22-22 and 46-22-24; chapter 46-22.2 (Alcohol Boating Safety Act), sections 46-22.2-2, 46-22.2-3 and 46-22.2-5; and chapter 46-27 (Personal Watercraft Safety Act), sections 46-27-1, 46-27-2 and 46-27-4. Read on the Rhode Island General Assembly's site, https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE46/INDEX.HTM, on 2026-10-05. Each question names its section and links to it. Section 46-22-9.8(d) gives the written test at least 25 questions and a passing grade of 70 percent or better. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the statute text; nothing is copied from a boater handbook, a boating course, a course provider's study guide or another practice test.

How it works

Unofficial Rhode Island boating license practice test, state law only: questions written from chapters 46-22, 46-22.2 and 46-27 of the Rhode Island General Laws. Navigation rules sit in a separate bank on this site. Read October 2026.

Read the full guide

1986, 10 horsepower and a 25-question test

Section 46-22-9.8 asks boating safety education of anyone born on or after January 1, 1986 who runs a vessel with more than 10 horsepower, and of every personal watercraft operator. The same section gives the course's written test at least 25 questions and a passing grade of 70 percent.

Under 13, 45 and 25, 200 feet

A child under 13 wears a flotation device on a moving recreational vessel under 65 feet unless below deck or in a closed cabin (46-22-9.2). Confined waters carry limits of 45 miles per hour by day and 25 in darkness (46-22-9.5). A personal watercraft holds headway speed within 200 feet of swimmers, shore or moored vessels (46-27-2).

  • A towed skier needs an observer of at least 12, and skiing stops one hour after sunset (section 46-22-12).
  • Section 46-22-21 asks immediate notice of an accident above $2,000; section 46-22-22 gives the owner 5 days for the written report.

Questions and answers

Do you need a boating license in Rhode Island?

The General Laws name no license. Section 46-22-9.8 requires a boating safety education program of anyone born on or after January 1, 1986 who operates a vessel with more than 10 horsepower, and of anyone operating a personal watercraft.

How many questions are on the Rhode Island boating test, and what score passes?

Section 46-22-9.8(d) gives the course's written test at least 25 questions and a passing grade of 70 percent or better. Exam mode here draws 25 of this site's own questions and marks the same 70 percent.

At what age must a child wear a life jacket on a boat in Rhode Island?

Under 13, on a recreational vessel shorter than 65 feet that is underway, unless the child is below deck or in a closed cabin (section 46-22-9.2). On a personal watercraft the operator and every passenger wear one (46-27-2).

What is the alcohol limit for operating a boat in Rhode Island?

Chapter 46-22.2 treats .08 percent or more as prima facie evidence of intoxication, and .02 percent for an operator under 21. A reading of at least .05 but under .08 counts as relevant evidence.

Is this the official RI boating safety test?

No. This is a private study site with no tie to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and it issues no certificate. The questions are this site's own, each with the section it rests on. Navigation rules are not covered here.

More tests

Show 6 more

Browse Safety and Trades