The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is offering a free two-day boater safety course at its Region 5 headquarters in Ray Brook on July 15 and 16.

Anyone born after May 1, 1996, must pass an approved boater safety course to legally operate a motor boat. In addition, New York State Law requires a boating safety course for the operation of personal watercraft (PWC). 

The Safe Boating Course is a comprehensive course that provides the fundamentals of safe boating operation and is approved by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). Certified Instructors and DEC Environmental Conservation Officers teach the course, which includes eight hours of classroom instruction over two days.

Students must be 10 years old to take the class. The course will be given at DEC Region 5 Headquarters at 1115 State Rt. 86, Ray Brook, NY. The course runs from at 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, July 16.

Instructors will issue students a temporary Safe Boating Certificate good for 90 days upon completion of the course. Adults age 18 or older must submit $10 to the Bureau of Marine Services to receive a permanent safe boating certificate.

Call 518-897-1303 to pre-register for the course. Class size is limited. Please notify instructors in advance if students require any special accommodations.