How do I get my boat licence in South Australia?

From the Spencer Gulf in the west to the Murray River in the east, the number of boating options available in the state is unmatched anywhere else in Australia.

It pays, then, to hold a SA recreational boating licence. 

Yes. The SA Government issues boaters with a physical licence, called a recreational skipper’s ticket, that looks quite different to your driver’s licence as it does not include any photo ID. You must always carry your licence with you out on the water.

The only powered boats where operators are exempt from needing a licence are those people on kayaks and canoes using electric motors that produce less than 150 Newtons of thrust.

There is a digital version of the SA recreational skipper’s licence that you can carry on a smartphone via the MySAGOV app.

Once you have your boat licence you can drive any boat as long as it is registered as a recreational boat and is used recreationally. You can’t do things such as charge people to jump onboard – but asking them to chip in for fuel is okay – and you can’t catch fish and sell them to someone else.

Under SA licencing laws, someone who does not hold a general boating licence and aged 12 or over can drive your boat as long as they do not go faster than 10 knots, even when you are onboard and supervising them. 

To qualify for a SA boat licence, you first need to prove that you are healthy enough to operate a boat. This involves asking your doctor or optometrist to sign a special form certifying you are medically fit.

You then need to contact a ServiceSA centre to book a theory exam based on multiple-choice questions taken from the South Australian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook.

The SA Government provides online versions of the test that will let you practice for the real test.

Once you have passed the test, you need to fill out an application for a marine licence. You will need to include any certificates that show you are medically fit to operate a boat with your application.

Another way to get your licence is to complete a government-approved power boat course at any one of a number of accredited training centres.

In SA, the minimum age to get a restricted marine licence to operate a boat that is no longer than 4.0 metres in length, during daylight hours and at a maximum speed of 10 knots is 12. From the age of 16, children are eligible for a full licence.

No. 

You can prepare for the test by completing a practice test online.

Sitting the test for a special licence costs $21, while the boat operator's licence theory test costs $48.

Once you pass, a special licence costs $18 and a full licence costs $46.

A SA boat licence never expires, so once you have it, there are no ongoing renewal fees.

Yes. SA does not require a separate endorsement to ride a jet ski.

If your sailboat is powered only using the wind, in theory, you don’t need a marine licence. However, if it has an outboard or inboard engine or electric motor capable of pushing it along at more than 10 knots, you will.