A New York state law requires all boat operators to take a safety course, regardless of experience or age.
Motorboat operators must take a free, 8-hour course offered by the Town of Oyster Bay either in person or online.
At the end of the course, recipients must take a safety test. If they pass, they can become certified.
State lawmakers passed Brianna’s Law in 2019. It took effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
The bill is named after Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year-old Long Island girl who was killed in a boating accident in 2005.
Until Jan. 1 this year, residents born on or after January 1st, 1978, needed a safety certificate. That is no longer the case.
Violators may be fined up to $250.
