Florida jet ski license rules

Do I need a boating license for jet skis in Florida?

Not a licence as such, but if you were born on or after 1 January 1988 you need boater education proof: the Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card with photo ID, or an accepted alternative.

Florida statute F.S. 327.395 sets the rule: a person born on or after 1 January 1988 may not operate a vessel powered by a motor of 10 hp or more unless they carry the required proof. Rental personal watercraft are above 10 hp, so the rule applies to every self-drive ski you would rent in Destin. The Florida ID card is valid for life once issued.

If you were born before 1 January 1988, the education requirement does not apply to you under that statute. You still need to meet the age rules and the listing's own ID requirements, covered below.

What is the Florida boating temporary certificate?

It is a short-term alternative to the ID card: you pass an online exam of 25 questions (19 correct to pass), and the certificate is valid for 90 days from issue, in Florida only.

• The FWC exam is taken online through authorized vendors, such as Aceboater, Boat Ed, BoatTests101, BoatUS, Take My Boat Test, Recademics and Boat Safe Online.
• You carry the certificate and photo ID while operating, and a livery can inspect it before renting to you.
• It is not valid outside Florida, and it cannot be converted into the permanent card.
• In practice, liveries often have renters take the test on a phone or tablet on site. That is common industry practice, not a legal requirement: FWC describes an online exam from approved vendors.

Listings treat the certificate differently. The self-drive Okaloosa Island rental lists the boater safety certificate under "not included", Luther's rental lists the boating test as not included, and the Fort Walton Beach listing mentions the boater's ID or certificate in its inclusions. Check the listing before you arrive.

Is my out-of-state boater card valid in Florida?

Yes, if it meets NASBLA standards. A non-resident is exempt when they carry photo ID and proof of a boating safety course or equivalency exam from another US state or territory that meets NASBLA standards.

FWC also accepts a Canadian card or an International Certificate of Competency for renters. Bring the physical card or accepted proof together with your photo ID. Luther's rental listing asks specifically for a NASBLA boater card for drivers born after 1 January 1988.

Florida law lists other exemptions too, such as holding a USCG master license, but the listings state their own requirement for operators born on or after 1 January 1988, so plan on carrying proof yourself.

Can a 12 year old ride a jet ski in Florida?

A 12-year-old can ride as a passenger where the listing allows it, but cannot drive: Florida law says no one under 14 may operate a PWC.

F.S. 327.39 sets 14 as the minimum age to operate a personal watercraft, and it is also illegal for an owner or person in charge to knowingly let someone under 14 operate one. No statutory minimum age for passengers was found, so the youngest rider allowed is set by each listing:

• Destiny Water Adventures listings (the flagship dolphin tour, the Okaloosa Island rental and the islands ride): riders from 8.
• Book the Coast tours (Gilligan's and Xtreme H2O): not suitable for children under 6.
• Luther's Waverunner rental: children from 5, with 1 adult and 2 children as one of the listed loads.
• Fort Walton Beach rental: passengers from 8.

Every passenger wears a non-inflatable life jacket. For how two riders share one ski, see the two-person jet ski guide.

Do I need a license to rent a jet ski in Destin?

You need to be 18 to rent, boater education proof if born on or after 1 January 1988, and the ID the listing asks for. Some listings ask for a driver's licence as well as photo ID.

F.S. 327.54 says a livery may not knowingly rent a motorized livery vessel to anyone under 18, so the age 14 rule is not the one that matters at a rental desk. Here is what each listing on this site states for the person driving:

The Okaloosa Island self-drive rental runs from 30 minutes to 4 hours, with the first full tank of fuel, life jackets and instructions listed as included.

Destin and Fort Walton Beach Jet Ski Rental · 30 min to 4 h · 2 per ski

Book this →

What do you need to ride a jet ski?

Beyond the card and ID, Florida law requires a non-inflatable USCG-approved life jacket on everyone aboard and the engine cut-off lanyard attached to the operator.

• Life jacket: every person operating, riding on or being towed behind a PWC must wear a USCG-approved life jacket that is not inflatable.
• Kill-switch lanyard: if the manufacturer fitted an engine cut-off lanyard, it must be attached to the operator's person, clothing or life jacket.
• From the livery: the livery must keep enough USCG-approved life jackets on site for the capacity of every vessel it rents.
• From you: Luther's listing asks renters to bring their licence, a credit card, a charged phone, sunscreen and water.

A security hold or deposit is taken at check-in on several listings; the listing shows the current terms. See what changes the price of a Destin jet ski rental.

Can you ride a jet ski at night in Florida?

No. Florida law bans PWC operation from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.

The night ban is in F.S. 327.39, alongside the rules on reckless PWC operation. FWC treats these as reckless operation: weaving through congested traffic, jumping another vessel's wake unreasonably or unnecessarily close or when visibility is obstructed, and swerving at the last moment to avoid a collision. The Fort Walton Beach rental lists hours of 10:30am to 5:00pm, Monday to Sunday.

For a sunset on the water without watching the clock, consider the glass-bottom dolphin cruise, which lists a sunset departure. More on the water itself in the Crab Island jet ski guide.

What does the livery have to explain before you ride?

A pre-rental instruction on how the craft handles, safe operation and right-of-way, local waterway hazards and depths, and emergency procedures. You and the instructor both sign the form.

Under F.S. 327.54, as amended by the Boating Safety Act of 2022, the instructor must have completed an approved boating safety course, and the briefing is recorded on FWC form FWCDLE 313A for motorized vessels. The livery keeps the signed form for 90 days. The livery also needs an annual FWC livery permit and a written rental agreement listing the renter's details, the number of passengers and the return time.

Okaloosa County adds a local layer: Ordinance 22-08 sets safety and operating standards for waterway rental vendors, and Ordinance 19-06 sets restricted areas for Destin Harbor, East Pass and Sandpiper Cove.

Luther's Waverunner rental on Choctawhatchee Bay lists a safety briefing and orientation, a waterway map and Crab Island access, for 1 to 8 hours.

Destin: Waverunner Rental with Crab Island Access · 1 to 8 hours · 2 adults per ski

Book this →

Frequently asked questions