NJ Boat/Drivers License Renewal Warning!

R

rommer

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Anyone renewing their NJ drivers license and happens to have a boat operators endorsement MUST bring their NJ State boating safety certificate when renewing the drivers license. What a PITA! They are unbending and MISINFORMED as well.

Today I showed up with my 6 points plus of identification, valid passport, valid birth certificate, current drivers license and even a copy of my OUPV license as well as an insurance card with home address. "Where is your boating safety certificate?" I was asked. "Why on the boat where I use it", I responded. "Well we can't renew your license"

I told them that as per the NJ State police I am not even REQUIRED to have a boating safety cert, (thou I have one), as a licensed coast guard Captain. They didn't care.

Dreading a 3 hour round trip ride to the boat I asked if there was any way to deal with this and one guy looked on some chart to find that my age group is not even REQUIRED to have the boating safety certificate until June of this year so I got to renew my license.

Hopefully I can save someone a wasted trip to the dreaded DMV over a missing piece of
paper....

The department of motor vehicles, our tax dollars at waste!
 
What if you said "I don't own a boat"?. Are they going to dig into what you owned and what not?.
 
They would remove the boat operators endorsement from your drivers license if you don't have the proper papers. Sounding more and more like nazi Germany every day....

In NJ you are required to have a boat operators license to operate a boat on fresh, non-tidal state waters, lakes and streams. They require the boating safety certificate for all waters in and around NJ. Not sure how they get away with that in tidal waters but they do.
 
I still haven't gotten my card yet, almost a year now!!!

NJ does suck.
 
John,

I have a Pennsylvania boating certificate from the PA fish and game commission. Am I legal to operate a boat in NJ? BTW, I was born in 1963, so maybe I'm "grandfathered"? We're be in Ocean City, NJ this year for a week, and I don't want to get in trouble.
 
This is from the NJ State Police Flyer found at http://www.njsp.org/info/pdf/marine/boating_education_requirements-021606.pdf

Out-of-state residents in New Jersey for less than 90 days with a certificate issued by their state or country; OR written proof of completion of a substantially similar course to the NJ-approved course will satisfy the education requirements.

Schedule for Completion of Mandatory Boating Safety Course:

• Persons born in 1969 or later must possess a Boating Safety Certificate by June 1, 2006.
• Persons born in 1959 or later must possess a Boating Safety Certificate by June 1, 2007.
• Persons born in 1949 or later must possess a Boating Safety Certificate by June 1, 2008.
• All persons who wish to operate a power vessel must possess a Boating Safety Certificate by June 1, 2009
 
We both have the Blue Boating Safety cards from PA since in the late '90, I was told they are OK when use in NJ or NY, we've boat/fish on both NY/NJ water and have not running into any problem yet.
 
If you are a NJ resident or keep your boat in NJ for more than 90 days then the PA card is no longer any good. The rules have changed the last few years.

I really believe it's just another money grab by the government. They even offer a test-out option for a $25 fee.

"Boating Safety Test-Out-Option

If you are a power vessel operator with at least 100 hours of operating experience and you were born prior to 1979 you may attempt to pass an approved boating safety exam without completing a boating safety course. You may only attempt to pass this exam one time, if successful, you will be issued a boating safety certificate. If unsuccessful, you cannot take the exam again, you will have to complete an approved boating safety course and pass an exam as part of the course to receive a boating safety certificate.

* The New Jersey State Police is not currently offering the boating safety test-out option, however, any approved boating safety course provider in the State of New Jersey may administer the boating safety test-out option. Course providers will administer the same written test that would normally follow an approved boating safety course. The minimum passing score for the boating safety test-out option is 70%."

http://www.njsp.org/maritime/testout.html
 
Does this mean transient boaters must have some documents to pass through NJ??
 
Good question Bruce.

I have many boats at my dock that come up from Florida and stay for a few months. I guess they would have to get the certificate if I read this correctly.

What a BS money grab this is.

Jonathan
 
Like I said, I have no idea how they get away with this in tidal waters. On the lakes and rivers OK but the bays and ocean???

Money grab indeed!
 
I have the same question.....what if you're from NY and just passing through NJ....You'd have to stop somewhere in NJ and get a certificate?
 
We keep our boat in a NY state marina on the Hudson River. Many people at the marina went and took the NJ course since they take trips to the NJ shore or NY harbor and didn't want to get hassled.

This is purely a guess but now that NY requires a safety cert for PWC operation I'd image that NJ police would have to accept that. But if you are a New Yorker who keeps their boat in NJ ie, Robyns Nest then the NJ cert is the right thing to have.

Trust me, I think the whole idea of mandatory education is a farce and Jersey's implementation is a way to hassle boaters and make money for the state. Hell, looks like we are going to raise tolls 50% every 4 years to finance the wasteful spending that goes on. Here's a novel idea, CUT COSTS CORZINE!
 
So I guess the master of the OE2 stopped off for his exam and license before proceeding up NY harbor or maybe he just kept to the NY side.
 
Actually he has one Bruce. He sat next to me in the class. A real nice guy too.
 
So, if I read this correct, if you get pulled over by marine police or CG in NJ waters AND you have the boat endorsement on your Drivers License, you don't need to provide any further proof that you passed the boating certificate course. The fact that you have the boating endorsement on your NJ DL implies that you already showed proof to the state that you passed the test. Anyone know this to be the case?
 
Dominic,

If you are pulled over by the State Police, and you were born before 1949, you must have a boater safety certificate. The edorsemnent on your drivers license, is only for non tidal waters. I do not think the CG checks, or cares, but I can not say that for sure.

Persons born in 1959 or later must possess a Boating Safety
Certificate by June 1, 2007.

• Persons born in 1949 or later must possess a Boating Safety
Certificate by June 1, 2008.

• All persons who wish to operate a power vessel must possess a
Boating Safety Certificate by June 1, 2009.

Once the dead line passes, where you will need a Boater Safety certificate, you can no longer test out. Also the test is a one time deal. If you fail the test on the first try, you must take the course to get your certificate.

Robyns Nest

As far as the delay getting your certificate, from the State Police, If there are any mistakes on the application, you go to the bottom of the pile, unless the agency that gave you the course calls them. (I was at the Marine Service Bureau last week, you should see some of the applications they get!!!) Also if your application looks to be a duplicate it can slow the process down. IE same name, date of birth and address.

The State Police are in the process of allowing the course providers to enter the applications into the system directly, this will speed up the process. I have been involved with it on a test bases, I did a class and 3 test outs this month, and I have the cards already. Within the next couple of weeks, it should be ready for all instructors. Those that choose to use it, should have thier cards back from the State Police very quickly.

Also the new cards are plastic, more like a credit card, completly water proof. No more laminated paper.

Do not blame the people that administer the program, they are told to make it work, it is our legislators that make the laws, then they do not give the State Police the funds to do it right.

No I do not work for the State Police, but I am a Boater Safety Instructor. It also helps that I live within about 2 miles from the State Police headquaters, it makes it real easy to stop by to get things worked out.

Scott
 
Dominic

Your post makes too much sense. Therefore it can't possibly be correct. We are talking about NJ here. As Scott stated you do need to have the safety cert if stopped by NJ law enforcement on the water. The CG isn't there to enforce local regs just federal so I doubt they care.
 
quote:
Originally posted by nph

...........The edorsemnent on your drivers license, is only for non tidal waters.........
Click to expand...


Scott:

I agree that that is how it used to be. However, according to Rommer's original post, that may not be the way it is being administered any longer. From what Rommer stated, if you do not show a boating safety certificate at the MVC, you Don't get the endorsement on your NJ DL.....regardless of whether you boat on a lake or on the Atlantic Ocean.

So, back to my original inquiry, the fact that you have the endorsement on your NJ DL (again, according to Rommer's recent experience) is proof positive that you would have already proven to the State of NJ that you did pass the NJ Safe Boating Course. My real question is whether or not the NJ Marine Police know this.
 
Since this is still being phased in Dominic I don't think you can rely on the license yet. In my case I was renewed WITHOUT having to prove the boating safety cert. The license is good till 2012 but I am required to have my cert after June 08. I'm guessing it will be sometime before you can rely on the the one piece of paper.

Messy, I agree...
 
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