A Tennessee operator born after January 1, 1989 has no certificate. A certified person may supervise from aboard if that person is at least how old?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(a)(3)
After the examination, what document does Tennessee law require the covered operator to have received?Public Chapter 214 of 2025, section 1 (T.C.A. § 69-9-226(a)(2))
An owner knowingly lets an uncertified person born after January 1, 1989 run the owner's registered boat alone in Tennessee. What does the education section say of the owner?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(e)
Before a Tennessee marina or livery rents out a motorboat, what must it give the renter?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(d)(1)
Besides a certified adult, who else may directly supervise an uncertified Tennessee operator from aboard the vessel?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(a)(3)
Besides a fine, what may a Tennessee court do to a person who violates the boating education section?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(e)
For at least how long must a Tennessee rental operation keep a renter's written acknowledgment of the orientation?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(d)(3)
How does Tennessee's boating education section treat a nonresident?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(b)(1)
How must a Tennessee renter acknowledge the motorboat orientation?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(d)(2)
Operators born after which date fall under Tennessee's § 69-9-226?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(a)
Show all 156 questions (146 more)
Boating safety certificate, continued
Tennessee's education requirement does not apply to a vessel powered by an engine of what size?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(b)(2)
What must a Tennessee operator covered by the education law have successfully completed?Public Chapter 214 of 2025, section 1 (T.C.A. § 69-9-226(a)(1))
When does a Tennessee boating safety certificate expire?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(c)(3)
Where does Tennessee's § 69-9-226(c)(1) say the agency's certificate must be while the boat is running?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(c)(1)
Which license takes its holder out of Tennessee's boating education requirement?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(b)(3)
Which of these does Tennessee law say the boating safety certificate contains?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(c)(2)
Which sailboat operator is outside Tennessee's boating education requirement?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(b)(4)
Which steering point must a Tennessee rental orientation include?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(d)(1)
Who may rent a motorboat from a Tennessee marina without sitting through the agency-approved briefing?T.C.A. § 69-9-226(d)(4)
Young operators 6
An adult directly supervises an 11-year-old at the controls of a Tennessee motorboat. What does the statute say about the adult's liability?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(b)(3)
In Tennessee, a marina may not rent a personal watercraft to a person under what age?T.C.A. § 69-9-506
In Tennessee, a person under what age may not operate a vessel propelled by machinery without direct adult supervision?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(b)(1)
Tennessee's under-12 rule for powered vessels does not apply to a motor of what size?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(b)(1)
What does "direct supervision" of a young operator mean in Tennessee's boating chapter?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(b)(2)
When is a Tennessee owner presumed to know of and consent to the use of the owner's vessel?T.C.A. § 69-9-215(b)(1)
Personal flotation devices 12
A Tennessee boater is cited because a passenger looked 12 or younger. How long does the person have to show the officer proof of legal age?T.C.A. § 69-9-225(d)
Apart from being Coast Guard approved, what two things does the Tennessee rule ask of every flotation device carried aboard?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(4)
During what time must a child covered by Tennessee's flotation rule wear the device?T.C.A. § 69-9-225(a)
How does the Tennessee equipment rule say wearable flotation devices must be kept aboard?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(4)
Rule 1660-02-03-.03(4) uses a stronger phrase for throwable devices than for wearables. Which?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(4)
Section 69-9-225 names two places aboard where a Tennessee child of 12 or under must wear a flotation device. Which?T.C.A. § 69-9-225(a)
Tennessee requires children of what age to wear a personal flotation device in an open boat that is underway?T.C.A. § 69-9-225(a)
Tennessee's equipment rule adds one throwable float to the life jackets on some boats. Which boats?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(2)(b)
TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(6) lets one of these go out with no flotation device aboard. Which?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(6)
What does Tennessee's equipment rule require aboard a recreational vessel for each person?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.03(2)(a)
Which describes the device a child must wear under Tennessee's child flotation section?T.C.A. § 69-9-225(a)
Which vessel is outside Tennessee's child flotation section?T.C.A. § 69-9-225(b)
No-wake, mooring and officers 20
A Tennessee boater nears a stationary emergency vessel showing flashing lights and chooses to move over. By at least how far?T.C.A. § 69-9-228(b)
An emergency vessel with flashing lights approaches a boat in Tennessee. What must the boat's operator do?T.C.A. § 69-9-228(a)
Around a divers-down flag in Tennessee, the water within what distance is treated as a no wake zone?T.C.A. § 69-9-403(a)
For what purpose does Tennessee's § 69-9-220 let an officer inspect a vessel?T.C.A. § 69-9-220(d)
How close may a boat come to a divers-down flag in Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-403(a)
How does the Tennessee rule define "Slow-No wake"?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.07(2)(a)
How must a special temporary slow no wake zone be made known in Tennessee?Public Chapter 845 of 2024, section 1 (T.C.A. § 69-9-209(g))
May a Tennessee city set a boating regulation of its own that differs from the state's?T.C.A. § 69-9-209
Since July 2024, who may set a special temporary slow no wake zone in Tennessee when there is an immediate danger?Public Chapter 845 of 2024, section 1 (T.C.A. § 69-9-209(g))
Since July 2026, for how many consecutive days at most may a recreational vessel be moored at one place along a Tennessee reservoir's edge?Public Chapter 696 of 2026, section 1
What does "overloading" mean in Tennessee's boating chapter?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
What does Tennessee's 2026 mooring act say about a recreational vessel's mooring lines?Public Chapter 696 of 2026, section 1
What does Tennessee's boating law say about a vessel that is moored, docked or tied up?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(e)
What may a Tennessee wildlife officer do to a vessel subject to the boating chapter when enforcing it?T.C.A. § 69-9-220(a)
When is a Tennessee law enforcement vessel exempt from the normal operating requirements?T.C.A. § 69-9-220(e)
Where does a Tennessee operating rule forbid anchoring a vessel?TWRA Rule 1660-02-03-.07(3)
Where does the 2026 Tennessee mooring act forbid temporary moorage altogether?Public Chapter 696 of 2026, section 1
Which act against navigation markers does Tennessee's § 69-9-216 forbid?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(e)
Which vessel is outside the 14-day limit of Tennessee's 2026 mooring act?Public Chapter 696 of 2026, section 1
Who may use or operate a siren on the waters of Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(d)
Skiing, wakesurfing and divers 24
A shore diver in Tennessee, with no support vessel, flies a marker of at least what size under § 69-9-402(a)?T.C.A. § 69-9-402(a)
A skier is towed in Tennessee without a life preserver. Whom does § 69-9-216(c)(3) deem in violation?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(c)(3)
A Tennessee motorboat without a wide-angle mirror tows a skier. Who must be aboard besides the operator?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(c)(1)
A Tennessee operator tows a skier with nobody else aboard. Which piece of equipment makes that lawful under § 69-9-216(c)(1)?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(c)(1)
A Tennessee scuba diver comes up at the end of a dive. How near to the marker flag does § 69-9-401(c) require?T.C.A. § 69-9-401(c)
A Tennessee ski club wants to anchor a jump ramp in a cove. What does § 69-9-216(c)(4) ask for first?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(c)(4)
After dusk, a Tennessee divers-down flag must be lit so that it can be seen from at least how far?T.C.A. §§ 69-9-401(d), 69-9-402(b)
Behind which motorboat does Tennessee forbid wakesurfing?Public Chapter 872 of 2022, section 2
Besides operating a vessel, what else does Tennessee's reckless or negligent operation ban cover?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(a)
Does "wakesurfing" in Tennessee's definition depend on a tow rope?Public Chapter 872 of 2022, section 1 (T.C.A. § 69-9-204)
For how long before and after the dive may a divers-down flag be displayed in Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-401(b)
How far must wakeboarding and wakesurfing stay from a shoreline, dock, pier or boathouse in Tennessee?Public Chapter 872 of 2022, section 2
How wide is the white diagonal stripe on Tennessee's divers-down flag?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
May a divers-down flag be used in Tennessee to hold back boat traffic?T.C.A. § 69-9-401(e)
Since July 2022, wakeboarding and wakesurfing are barred in Tennessee on a body of water smaller than what size?Public Chapter 872 of 2022, section 2
Tennessee bars wakeboarding and wakesurfing where the water, shoreline to shoreline, is narrower than what width?Public Chapter 872 of 2022, section 2
What does Tennessee's § 69-9-216 say about steering a skier with the boat or the tow rope?T.C.A. § 69-9-216
What is the smallest divers-down flag a diver support boat may fly in Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-402(a)
What must a person riding water skis or a tube wear under Tennessee's § 69-9-216?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(c)(3)
When does Tennessee forbid towing a person on water skis, a tube or a similar device, absent a special permit?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(c)(2)
When must divers in Tennessee display a divers-down flag?T.C.A. § 69-9-401(a)
Which boats does Tennessee's diving law tell to fly the international code flag Alpha?T.C.A. § 69-9-404(a)
Which condition counts as "restricted visibility" in Tennessee's boating chapter?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
Which events are outside Tennessee's 2022 wakeboarding and wakesurfing limits?Public Chapter 872 of 2022, section 2
Personal watercraft 17
A personal watercraft without mirrors tows a tuber in Tennessee. Who must be on board?T.C.A. § 69-9-507
A Tennessee boat operator feels that a personal watercraft is creating a hazard. What signal does § 69-9-504 give that operator?T.C.A. § 69-9-504
During which hours does a Tennessee agency rule forbid operating a personal watercraft?TWRA Rule 1660-02-10-.01(3)
How does Tennessee law treat a personal watercraft that follows closely in the wake of a boat towing a skier?T.C.A. § 69-9-504
How small may the orange hazard flag of Tennessee's personal watercraft part be?T.C.A. § 69-9-504
Tennessee's § 69-9-504 names wake jumping as reckless when the rider is how near to the boat that made the wake?T.C.A. § 69-9-504
To what must the lanyard of a personal watercraft's engine cutoff switch be attached in Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-503
Under the Tennessee agency rule, riding a personal watercraft unreasonably close to which places is unsafe or reckless operation?TWRA Rule 1660-02-10-.01(4)
What does Tennessee's § 69-9-504 say of a personal watercraft steered at a swimmer and turned sharply at close range to spray the swimmer?T.C.A. § 69-9-504
When a personal watercraft is out on Tennessee water, § 69-9-502 puts a Type I, II, III or V device on which people?T.C.A. § 69-9-502
Where may the towing mirrors of a Tennessee personal watercraft not be mounted?T.C.A. § 69-9-507
Which craft counts as a personal watercraft under § 69-9-501 of the Tennessee Code?T.C.A. § 69-9-501
Which personal watercraft is outside Tennessee's lanyard cutoff switch rule?T.C.A. § 69-9-503
Which personal watercraft maneuver does Tennessee's § 69-9-504 list as reckless operation?T.C.A. § 69-9-504
Which renter of a personal watercraft must a Tennessee rental operation give an approved orientation?T.C.A. § 69-9-506
Which topic belongs to the personal watercraft rental orientation in Tennessee but not to the general motorboat list?T.C.A. § 69-9-506
Who is outside Tennessee's personal watercraft part altogether?T.C.A. § 69-9-508(b)
Boating under the influence 14
A Tennessee judge sentences a boater convicted under § 69-9-217(a). How long is the suspension that the 2023 rewrite of § 69-9-219(c) orders?Public Chapter 383 of 2023, section 4 (T.C.A. § 69-9-219(c)(1))
A Tennessee operator refuses the test but was never told what a refusal would bring. What follows for the court?T.C.A. § 69-9-217
After a Tennessee boating accident with a death or serious injury, from whom does the investigating agency obtain blood alcohol content?T.C.A. § 69-9-217
At the scene of a Tennessee boating accident, when may an officer arrest an operator without a warrant?T.C.A. § 69-9-220(a)
Before the test, what must a Tennessee officer tell the vessel's operator?T.C.A. § 69-9-217
Does Tennessee's boating under the influence section apply to a vessel that is moored or anchored?T.C.A. § 69-9-217(n)
For how long does a Tennessee court suspend the operating privilege of a person found to have refused the test?Public Chapter 383 of 2023, section 3 (T.C.A. § 69-9-217(f)(2))
In a Tennessee boating case, what does a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent or less create?T.C.A. § 69-9-217
Since July 2024, on which waters does Tennessee's boating under the influence section apply?Public Chapter 845 of 2024, section 2 (T.C.A. § 69-9-217(a))
What alcohol concentration is by itself a violation of Tennessee's boating under the influence section?T.C.A. § 69-9-217
What does a person consent to by operating a registered vessel on Tennessee waters?T.C.A. § 69-9-217(d)(1)
What is the shortest jail term for a first conviction of boating under the influence in Tennessee since July 2023?Public Chapter 383 of 2023, section 4 (T.C.A. § 69-9-219(c)(1))
Which specimens may be used for the test under Tennessee's boating under the influence section?T.C.A. § 69-9-217(d)
Which vessels does Tennessee's boating under the influence section cover?T.C.A. § 69-9-217(a)
Accidents and reports 13
A Tennessee boating accident causes a death or a serious injury. Within what time is the report filed?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(c)
Can the operator's written report be put before a Tennessee jury under § 69-9-210(d)?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(d)
During a Tennessee accident investigation or a compliance check, what does § 69-9-216 forbid?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(f)
How soon must the agency be notified of a boating accident on Tennessee waters?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(c)
Nobody is hurt, but a Tennessee collision does more than $2,000 in damage. What is the filing deadline in § 69-9-210(c)?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(c)
The operator cannot make the notice or the report after a Tennessee accident. Whose responsibility is it then?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(c)
Tennessee's § 69-9-210(b) calls for a written description once the wildlife officer or operator estimates the damage at more than what sum?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(b)
Two boats collide on a Tennessee lake. Which details does § 69-9-210(a) tell each operator to hand over?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(a)
What does Tennessee require of an operator whose vessel is in an accident, so far as it can be done without serious danger to the operator's own vessel and people?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(a)
Which kind of injury does § 69-9-204 class as "serious" for Tennessee accident reports?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
Which result, with no one hurt, also makes a Tennessee boating accident reportable?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(b)
Which Tennessee office receives the operator's full description of a reportable accident?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(b)
Who may obtain a copy of a Tennessee boating accident report that has been filed?T.C.A. § 69-9-210(d)
Mufflers, liveries and definitions 11
A sailboat on a Tennessee lake is running its small auxiliary engine. Is it a "motorboat" under the chapter's definition?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
A vessel is "underway" under Tennessee's § 69-9-204 when it is what?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
At what distance from the vessel is Tennessee's noise limit measured?T.C.A. § 69-9-302(a)
For at least how long must a Tennessee boat livery keep its record of who hired each motorboat?T.C.A. § 69-9-213(a)
Vessels in an approved regatta are outside Tennessee's muffler part. For how long before the race does that also cover their trial runs?T.C.A. § 69-9-305
What does Tennessee's Part 3 require of the exhaust of every internal combustion engine used on a vessel?T.C.A. § 69-9-301
What does Tennessee's § 69-9-216 say about a vessel able to discharge untreated sewage into the state's waters?T.C.A. § 69-9-216(g)
What does Tennessee's § 69-9-304 say about exhaust cutouts?T.C.A. § 69-9-304
What must be true before a Tennessee boat livery lets a rented motorboat leave its premises?T.C.A. § 69-9-213(b)
What noise level may a vessel not exceed on Tennessee waters?T.C.A. § 69-9-302(a); TWRA Rule 1660-02-09-.01(1)
Which acts amount to "operating" a boat in the definitions section of Title 69, Chapter 9?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
Numbering 20
A boat validly numbered in another state loses its exemption once Tennessee is its state of principal use and it has been in Tennessee how long?T.C.A. § 69-9-206(a)(2)
A Tennessee certificate of number is good for one year. For how long may it be issued if the owner applies?T.C.A. § 69-9-207(d)
A Tennessee certificate of number is lost. Within how many days is the application for a duplicate made?TWRA Rule 1660-02-01-.01(4)
An out-of-state boat is in Tennessee solely for storage or repairs. Does that time count toward the 60 days?T.C.A. § 69-9-209(f)(5)
An owner sells a boat that carries a TN number. What becomes of the certificate under Rule 1660-02-01-.02(7)?TWRA Rule 1660-02-01-.02(7)
How does Tennessee treat a vessel that holds a valid federal document?T.C.A. § 69-9-206(a)(1)
How tall must the block characters of a Tennessee vessel number be?TWRA Rule 1660-02-02-.02(1)
The owner of a Tennessee-numbered vessel moves house. What does the rule require?TWRA Rule 1660-02-01-.02(6)
Section 69-9-207(c) tells a Tennessee owner to paint or attach the number where?T.C.A. § 69-9-207(c)
What does Tennessee law say about the certificate of number when the vessel is in operation?T.C.A. § 69-9-207(c)
What does Tennessee's § 69-9-207(a) say about operating a vessel that should be numbered and is not?T.C.A. § 69-9-207(a)
What does the Tennessee rule say about the color of the number on the bow?TWRA Rule 1660-02-02-.02(1)
What is a vessel's "state of principal use" in Tennessee's boating chapter?T.C.A. § 69-9-204
What is the first part of every Tennessee vessel identification number?TWRA Rule 1660-02-02-.01(1)
What must a vessel that is exempt from numbering in Tennessee display?T.C.A. § 69-9-206(b)
When is a volunteer rescue squad's vessel exempt from numbering in Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-206(a)(7)
Where does the Tennessee validation decal go?TWRA Rule 1660-02-02-.02(1)
Which letters are left out of Tennessee vessel numbers because they can be taken for numerals?TWRA Rule 1660-02-02-.01(1)
Which office keeps the records of transactions and transfers of vessels numbered in Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-207(f)
Which vessels must be numbered on the waters of Tennessee?T.C.A. § 69-9-206(a)
How this list was compiled: Written only from Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9 (the Tennessee Boating Safety Act of 1965 and the parts on mufflers, diving and personal watercraft: sections 69-9-204, 206, 207, 209, 210, 213, 215, 216, 217, 219, 220, 225, 226, 228, 301 to 305, 401 to 404 and 501 to 508) and from five chapters of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's rules (1660-02-01, 1660-02-02, 1660-02-03, 1660-02-09 and 1660-02-10). The statute was read on 2026-10-04 in a public copy, not the official code: the Public.Resource.Org release of 21 May 2021 on the Internet Archive, https://archive.org/download/gov.tn.tca/release76.2021.05.21/gov.tn.tca.title.69.html. That 2021 text was then compared with every act listed for the 112th, 113th and 114th General Assemblies under the subjects Boats and Boating, Game and Fish Laws, DUI Offenses and Wildlife Resources Commission on the General Assembly's index, each read on the Secretary of State's site (publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts) the same day: Public Chapter 434 of 2021; 872, 894 and 910 of 2022; 120, 235 and 383 of 2023; 845 and 1011 of 2024; 214 of 2025; 584 and 696 of 2026. A question on text changed since 2021 names the amending act and links to it. The agency rules were read on 2026-10-04 in the files that the Secretary of State's index of the agency's rules (https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1660/1660.htm) lists as current that day: chapter 1660-02-01 as revised June 2025, 1660-02-02 as revised June 2017, 1660-02-03 as revised July 2026 (amendments effective July 1, 2026), and 1660-02-09 and 1660-02-10 as revised April 2017. Each question names its section, act or rule and links to it. That an examination exists is section 69-9-226(a), as rewritten in 2025: a person born after January 1, 1989 has completed a NASBLA approved boating safety examination approved by the agency and holds the agency's certificate. Neither the statute nor the rules give a number of questions or a pass mark, so none is stored here. The agency's boating education page, https://www.tn.gov/twra/boating/boating-education.html, was opened on 2026-10-04; it says every Tennessee resident whose birth date falls after January 1, 1989 must pass a boating safety exam and that the certificate can be earned online. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the statute, act and rule text; nothing is copied from a boater handbook, a boating course, a course provider's study guide or another practice test.
How it works
This unofficial Tennessee boating license practice test draws only on state law: Title 69, Chapter 9 of the Tennessee Code, later acts and Wildlife Resources Agency rules. Steering and right-of-way questions are on the federal rules page. Read October 2026.
Read the full guide
January 1, 1989, 8.5 horsepower, age 12
Section 69-9-226 covers anyone born after January 1, 1989 on a vessel subject to registration; motors of 8.5 horsepower or less are outside it. The state's document is a certificate, not a license. Under 12, a powered vessel needs an adult able to take immediate control (69-9-216).
The examination and the newer acts
Since a 2025 act, section 69-9-226(a) asks for a NASBLA approved boating safety examination that the agency approves. It gives no length and no passing score, so the tool shows a bare score. The code was read in a 2021 public copy; later changes are asked from the acts: wakesurfing limits (2022), twelve-month suspensions (2023), temporary no wake zones (2024), 14-day mooring (2026).
Twelve twice: flotation devices at 12 and under, a skier's observer at 12 or older.
Two report clocks: 48 hours after a death or serious injury, 10 days for property damage over $2,000.
Questions and answers
Who needs a boat license in Tennessee?
No one: Tennessee issues a boating safety certificate, not a license. A person born after January 1, 1989 needs it to operate a vessel subject to registration; a motor of 8.5 horsepower or less is among the exceptions (section 69-9-226).
Is this the TN boating license online test?
No. This is unofficial practice, and finishing it counts toward nothing. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's boating education page on tn.gov says the certificate can be earned online; the real exam is reached from there.
What is on the Tennessee boating license test?
Section 69-9-226 says only that the examination is NASBLA approved and approved by the agency. This bank covers the law side: the certificate, ages, flotation devices, personal watercraft, towing, wake rules, accident reports and numbering.
How many questions are on the Tennessee boating exam, and what is the pass mark?
Neither figure is in Title 69 or in the agency's rules. Exam mode here deals 25 questions, a number this site chose, and ends with a plain score, never a pass or a fail.
Did the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency write these questions?
It did not. The agency has neither written nor reviewed anything on this page, which is not a government website. Every answer names its section, act or rule, and the link under it opens the text.