Anyone who operates a boat in Alabama needs to be aware of a strict new law going
into effect Oct. 1, 2024. ALL non-residents will be required to have passed a certified
boating safety course. (Photo: Richard Simms)
Crappie Basics: New Alabama Boating Law
by Richard Simms
If you are planning a crappie fishing trip to Alabama from any other state, there is a new law you need to know about.
Effective October 1, 2024, non-residents of Alabama will be required to have either (A) a valid boater safety certification or vessel operator’s certification issued in your home state, or (B) a Nonresident Alabama Boater Safety Certification obtained upon examination and certification under the same terms and conditions as Alabama residents.
Previously, non-residents could operate a boat in Alabama up to 45 days a year without having to obtain a vessel operator’s license. Those days are gone effective Oct. 1, 2024.
According to Chief Matt Brooks with the Alabama Marine Patrol, effective Oct. 1, “Non-residents of Alabama must have a boating safety certificate in their possession from their home state and a valid state-issued identification such as a driver license or ID card to prove out of state residency. Or they must have an Alabama Non-Resident Boater Safety Certification. The course taken must be the Alabama-specific course approved by our Division. There is an online course that we approved offered through boat-ed.com and then we also approve in-person classes taught by our troopers, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and America’s Boating Club (formerly the U.S. Power Squadron). Once you have earned that certificate, you can go to any license examiner’s office in Alabama, present the required documents (which include your certificate of completion from your boating safety course) and obtain the license at that time.”
There is a one-time application fee of $5.00 and a $36.25 issuance fee for the license.
Alabama Rep. Ginny Shaver (R-Leesburg) told Birmingham TV station WIAT, “We require Alabama residents to have a vessel license before operating, so it only seems fair that we require out-of-state operators to have the same safety.”
Capt. Richard Simms is the Editor of CrappieNOW magazine as well as owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters. He is a former game warden for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency before becoming a photographer and PR guy for TWRA. That lead to a 30-year career as a broadcast journalist and freelance outdoor writer. You can follow Capt. Simms on Facebook.
