New MN DNR boater education requirements take effect July 1

Boaters across the state may need to update their permits with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources this summer.

Beginning July 1, new laws around boater education take effect for both adults and youth who operate motorboats. The law requires that those operating a motorboat have completed an education course and been issued a permit from the MN DNR, though there are some exceptions. The law will be rolled out over the next three years.

There are roughly 800,000 registered watercraft in the state of Minnesota. According to the DNR, Minnesota consistently ranks in the top five U.S. states when it comes to the number of registered boats.

The first phase of the rollout will maintain the current safety education requirements that are currently in place for boaters between 12 and 18. As of July 1, 2025, the same requirements will apply to anyone born after June 30, 2004. In the following years, additional age groups will be added:

• July 1, 2026, those born after June 30, 2000 will be included in the law
• July 1, 2027, those born after June 30, 1996 will be included in the law
• July 1, 2028, those born after June 30, 1987 will be included in the law

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gorecki, the assistant director of the MN DNR’s enforcement division told press at a media event the decision to include only those born after 1987 was an effort to be consistent with other DNR permits, and he wasn’t aware of a specific reason that that year has been selected as the age cutoff for other DNR permits.

Gorecki added that out-of-state visitors will also be required to hold a valid permit if they are operating a motorized watercraft in Minnesota for 60 consecutive days, regardless of their state of residence. However, if they hold a permit in their home state, the MN DNR encourages the training, but does not require them to complete additional training in Minnesota. 

While the law has impacted who needs to a permit, according to Gorecki, the training itself will not change significantly. The safety course is currently managed by a third party vendor. Gorecki said that vendor will continue to provide the service for the MN DNR, and that the fee for the course and permit are paid to that testing service, and not collected by the DNR.

Completing the training could take anywhere between 4 and 8 hours, depending on how thoroughly the test taker is learning the material, according to MN DNR officials. However, once you have it, the permit lasts a lifetime. For folks who have already completed safety training, they can request their records through the testing vendor. For those who did the training before the digital version, Gorecki said they should contact DNR Camp Ripley Safety Education staff.

As the new law is implemented over the next several years, Gorecki said the focus of the enforcement division of the DNR will not be to issue citations, but rather to increase awareness of the law, and of the importance of boater safety.

“We certainly have tried to expand and extend our efforts to make sure people are safe out there, as well as our local partners at sheriff’s offices,” said Gorecki. We want to continue that downward trend, and that’s what we’re hoping to do with some of the safety operators requirements.”

Information on how to complete the education training can be found on the MN DNR website.

Kirsten Wisniewski June 6, 2025