Do you need a license for a sailboat in California? What do you need to sail a boat in California?

California boating law requires boaters to obtain and carry a California Boater Card (CBC) while operating a recreational motorized vessel on California waterways. This card is often called the California boating license.

California law requires a person to be 16 years of age or older and in possession of his/her California Boater Card to legally operate a vessel powered by a motor of 15 hp or more, including personal watercraft (PWCs).

Exceptions to this law are:

• Persons 12 to 15 years of age may operate a vessel powered by a motor of 15 hp or more, including PWCs, if they are supervised on board by a person at least 18 years of age and in possession of his/her California Boater Card.
• There is no age restriction for operating a sailboat under 30 ft. long (with wind as the main source of propulsion) or a dinghy used between a moored vessel and shore or between two moored vessels.

If the sailboat has a motor, you will need a California Boater Card.