• 95 questions

West Virginia Boating License Practice Test: Questions on State Law

West Virginia's boating statutes and boating rule, state law only; the section sits under each answer.

How old must an instructor of the boat livery safety orientation be in West Virginia?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Bank checked October 5, 2026.

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All 95 questions

Boating safety education certificate 15

  • A boater visiting West Virginia from a country other than the United States is exempt from the certificate rule for a stay of what length? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(c)
  • A nonresident with a home-state boating certificate is exempt from West Virginia's requirement while visiting for how long? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(c)
  • A West Virginia boat livery gives a renter a temporary certificate after the safety orientation. For how long is it valid? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-11.4
  • How may an officer enforce West Virginia's boating certificate requirement? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(f)
  • How old must a nonresident visitor be to use West Virginia's exemption for holders of a home-state boating certificate? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(c)
  • How old must an instructor of the boat livery safety orientation be in West Virginia? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-11.2
  • To whom must a West Virginia operator who needs the certificate show it on demand? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(b)
  • The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources issues the certificate to someone who passes a course or which other test? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(d)
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Boating safety education certificate, continued

  • West Virginia exempts a new buyer from the certificate rule for how long after the purchase, if the buyer has no earlier boating charge? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(c)
  • What does the Division of Natural Resources charge for study materials requested by someone who plans to take West Virginia's equivalency examination? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(d)
  • Which birth date is the cutoff in West Virginia's certificate requirement for motorboat operators? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(a)
  • Which craft does West Virginia's boating safety education certificate requirement cover? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(a)
  • Which group does section 20-7-12b name among those whose boating safety course earns a West Virginia certificate? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(a)
  • Which renter may a West Virginia boat livery send out without a boating safety orientation? W. Va. Code § 20-7-16(c)
  • Which West Virginia operator needs no boating safety education certificate whatever the year of birth? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12b(c)

Operator ages 4

  • A 13-year-old in West Virginia may operate a motorboat with no adult on board up to what engine power? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.1
  • Below what age may nobody operate a motorboat alone in West Virginia if its motor is larger than 10 horsepower? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.1
  • From what age may a West Virginia child operate a motorboat while an adult is aboard? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.1
  • What may the owner of a West Virginia motorboat not do under the age rule? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.1

Personal flotation devices 6

  • A West Virginia motorboat carries passengers for hire, children among them. Child-size flotation devices must equal what share of its maximum persons carried? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-10.1
  • West Virginia's wear-it rule for young passengers on a moving vessel runs through what age? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-3.1
  • When is a young child aboard a moving vessel in West Virginia excused from wearing a flotation device? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-3.1
  • Which flotation devices do not meet West Virginia's personal watercraft requirement? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(b)
  • Which vessel falls outside West Virginia's child flotation device rule? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-3.1
  • Who must see that a child aboard a West Virginia recreational vessel wears a flotation device? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-3.1

Speed, distance and restricted areas 12

  • A West Virginia town wants its own ordinance on operating vessels. What must the ordinance be? W. Va. Code § 20-7-23(a)
  • How close may a vessel come to a person fishing in West Virginia without that person's permission? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-5.3
  • How does West Virginia's boating rule cap the speed of a vessel? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.6
  • To what may a West Virginia boater never tie or anchor a vessel? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-5.2
  • What distance must a vessel keep from the outer boundary of a buoyed swimming area in West Virginia? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-5.4
  • What is the top speed for a motorboat in a marked no-wake zone on a government-owned reservoir in West Virginia? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-5.5
  • What limits the engine a West Virginia boater may run on a vessel? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-6.2
  • What limits the number of people a West Virginia vessel may carry? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-6.1
  • Where may a vessel not be anchored under West Virginia's boating rule? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-5.1
  • Which of these does West Virginia's rule forbid approaching or passing recklessly? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.7
  • Which racing operator is outside West Virginia's assured-clear-distance speed rule? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-4.6
  • Who may apply to the director for special rules on waters within its limits in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-23(b)

Water skiing and towables 9

  • A personal watercraft in West Virginia tows one skier. Who counts toward the manufacturer's maximum safe load? W. Va. Code § 20-7-19a(b)
  • A West Virginia operator tows a skier with nobody else in the boat. Which fitting makes that lawful? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-7.4
  • During which hours is water skiing barred on West Virginia waters? W. Va. Code § 20-7-19(a)
  • How young may the observer be on a West Virginia personal watercraft that tows a skier? W. Va. Code § 20-7-19a(a)
  • What does West Virginia's rule 58-25-7.7 require of a person towed behind a vessel? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-7.7
  • What may the operator of a tow boat in West Virginia not cause the skis or the skier to do? W. Va. Code § 20-7-19(c)
  • Where on a government-owned reservoir in West Virginia may a vessel tow a water skier? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-7.6
  • Which way must the observer face on a personal watercraft towing a tuber in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-19a(a)
  • Who is outside West Virginia's sunset-to-sunrise water skiing ban? W. Va. Code § 20-7-19(b)

Personal watercraft 13

  • A West Virginia boat livery may not rent a personal watercraft to anyone under what age? W. Va. Code § 20-7-16(d)
  • At what age may a West Virginia child operate a personal watercraft if an adult rides aboard? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(a)
  • At what speed does following within 100 feet behind another vessel become following too closely on a West Virginia personal watercraft? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(e)
  • Below what age may no one operate a personal watercraft alone on West Virginia waters? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(a)
  • How near to the side of a moving vessel may a West Virginia personal watercraft travel above 10 miles per hour in open water? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(e)
  • Near which of these must a personal watercraft keep to slow or no-wake speed within 100 feet in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(e)
  • West Virginia's personal watercraft section requires an approved flotation device to be worn by whom? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(b)
  • What does West Virginia call vessels that look and run like a personal watercraft but use an outboard or propeller-driven motor? W. Va. Code § 20-7-11
  • What must a West Virginia livery hand the operator in print before renting out a personal watercraft? W. Va. Code § 20-7-16(c)
  • Where may a West Virginia personal watercraft travel close to other vessels at the speed and flow of traffic? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(e)
  • Which license holder is outside West Virginia's personal watercraft operating section while on official duty? W. Va. Code § 20-7-20a(b)
  • Who may operate a personal watercraft after sunset in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(d)
  • Within what distance of the vessel making a wake is going airborne on a personal watercraft reckless operation in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18d(e)

Alcohol, drugs and tests 7

  • A 19-year-old runs a motorized vessel in West Virginia after drinking. Which readings fall under the under-21 subsection? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18b(h)
  • Besides operating a motorboat, what else does West Virginia forbid a person under the influence to do? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18(b)
  • How does West Virginia's boating statute write the blood alcohol level at which operating a motorboat is unlawful? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18(b)
  • To which tests has a person consented by operating a motorized vessel in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18c
  • Under section 20-7-18b(f), who else commits an offense when an intoxicated person operates a West Virginia motorboat? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18b(f)
  • What is the least actual confinement in the jail term for simply operating a motorboat under the influence in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18b(d)
  • What is the longest jail term section 20-7-18b(d) gives for operating a motorized vessel under the influence in West Virginia with no injury? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18b(d)

Accidents and reports 8

  • How many days does a West Virginia operator have to submit an accident report for a reportable injury or property damage? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-8.3
  • How serious must an injury be before a West Virginia vessel accident has to be reported? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18(d)
  • How soon must a West Virginia boating accident report reach the Division when someone has died? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-8.3
  • What damage total makes a West Virginia boating accident reportable to the director? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18(d)
  • When is a West Virginia operator in a boating accident excused from giving help to others affected? W. Va. Code § 20-7-18(c)
  • When is no state permit needed for a marine parade in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-20(b)
  • Whom may the owner of a West Virginia motorboat not allow to operate it under section 20-7-21? W. Va. Code § 20-7-21
  • Whose written authorization does a boat race on West Virginia waters need? W. Va. Code § 20-7-20(a)

Equipment, mufflers and reservoirs 8

  • A motorboat with a sink or toilet is to be launched on a government-owned reservoir in West Virginia. What must be true of the system? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-9.3
  • A West Virginia livery is about to send a hired boat out. What must the boat carry first? W. Va. Code § 20-7-16(b)
  • Above how many passengers must a West Virginia motorboat carrying passengers for hire be inspected and certified by the Coast Guard? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-10.3
  • For how long before an approved race may a West Virginia race boat use muffler cutouts on trial runs? W. Va. Code § 20-7-17
  • How much open area per cubic foot of compartment volume makes a compartment open to the atmosphere in West Virginia's rule? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-2.6
  • May a vessel be placed on a West Virginia government-owned reservoir to serve as a dwelling? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-9.5
  • What does visible mean in West Virginia's boating rule? W. Va. Code R. § 58-25-2.11
  • Which body of rules does West Virginia apply to the lights and equipment of vessels on its waters? W. Va. Code § 20-7-13(a)

Numbering and certificates of number 13

  • A boat numbered elsewhere changes its state of principal operation to West Virginia. How long is the reciprocity period before its number must be recorded? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(c)
  • A West Virginia buyer receives a dealer's temporary certificate of number. Within how many days must the buyer apply for the regular certificate? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(b)
  • A West Virginia livery's rental log lists the customer and the identification number. What else? W. Va. Code § 20-7-16(a)
  • At the latest, a West Virginia dealer's temporary certificate of number expires how long after it is issued? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(b)
  • How long is a West Virginia motorboat registration period? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(f)
  • What does state of principal operation mean in West Virginia's boating article? W. Va. Code § 20-7-11
  • What must the new owner do when a numbered West Virginia motorboat changes hands? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(d)
  • When is a racing motorboat exempt from numbering in West Virginia? W. Va. Code § 20-7-14
  • Which lengths make up Class 1 in West Virginia's motorboat registration classes? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(a)
  • Which motorboat needs no West Virginia number? W. Va. Code § 20-7-14
  • Which transfer does not end a West Virginia motorboat's certificate of number? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(g)
  • Which vessel is not a motorboat under West Virginia's definition? W. Va. Code § 20-7-11
  • With which West Virginia official does a motorboat owner file the application for a number? W. Va. Code § 20-7-12(a)

How this list was compiled: Written only from the West Virginia Code, chapter 20, article 7, part II (sections 20-7-11, 20-7-12, 20-7-12b, 20-7-13, 20-7-14, 20-7-16, 20-7-17, 20-7-18, 20-7-18b, 20-7-18c, 20-7-18d, 20-7-19, 20-7-19a, 20-7-20, 20-7-20a, 20-7-21 and 20-7-23), read on the West Virginia Legislature's site, https://code.wvlegislature.gov/20-7/, and from the legislative rule Title 58, Series 25, Boating Rule (effective May 19, 2025), read on the Secretary of State's site, https://apps.sos.wv.gov/adlaw/csr/ruleview.aspx?document=18169, both on 2026-10-05. Each question names its section and links to it. The law read gives no number of questions and no pass mark for the course or the equivalency examination, so none is stored here. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the statute 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

Unofficial West Virginia boating license practice test, state law only, written from chapter 20, article 7 of the West Virginia Code and the Division of Natural Resources boating rule. Navigation rules live in a separate bank here. Read October 2026.

Read the full guide

December 31, 1986 and the certificate

Section 20-7-12b requires a boating safety education certificate of anyone born on or after December 31, 1986 who operates a motorboat or personal watercraft. The Division of Natural Resources issues it after a course or an equivalency examination. The section gives no question count and no pass mark, and officers enforce it only as a secondary action.

Ages 15 and 12, 100 feet and 20 feet

Nobody under 15 operates a motorboat or personal watercraft, except that from 12 a child may with an adult aboard, or alone on a motorboat of 10 horsepower or less (rule 58-25-4.1). A personal watercraft keeps slow or no-wake speed within 100 feet of anglers (20-7-18d). Any vessel stays 20 feet from a person fishing unless that person agrees.

  • Water skiing stops between sunset and sunrise (section 20-7-19); so does personal watercraft operation (20-7-18d).
  • Accident reports reach the Division within 48 hours after a death and within 10 days otherwise (rule 58-25-8.3).

Questions and answers

Do you need a boating license in West Virginia?

The code names a boating safety education certificate. Section 20-7-12b requires it of anyone born on or after December 31, 1986 who operates a motorboat or personal watercraft, with exemptions that include commercial operation and short visits by certified nonresidents.

How many questions are on the West Virginia boating exam?

Article 7 does not say. It names a course and a boating safety equivalency examination without a length or a pass mark, so this page stores none. Exam mode is a 25-question practice set this site picked.

How old do you have to be to drive a boat in West Virginia?

Rule 58-25-4.1 bars anyone under 15 from operating a motorboat or personal watercraft, with two exceptions from age 12: with an adult aboard, or alone on a motorboat of up to 10 horsepower.

What is the blood alcohol limit for boating in West Virginia?

Section 20-7-18 makes it unlawful to operate a motorboat at eight hundredths of one percent or more by weight. For an operator under 21, section 20-7-18b(h) covers 0.02 percent up to 0.08 percent.

Is this the official WV boating safety test?

No. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has no connection with this page, and nothing here counts toward its certificate. The site is private; its questions are its own, each tied to a code or rule section. Boat handling is outside this bank.

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