Booking choice: The island jet ski tour, from $156 per jet ski. Check dates Compare the options below
Florida has no jet ski license as such. What it has is a boating safety education requirement, and it catches most younger visitors: anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 must carry proof before driving a vessel of 10 horsepower or more, and every jet ski qualifies.
The rule sits in section 327.395 of the Florida Statutes, and every jet ski tour on this site repeats it in its listing. Arrive without proof and you ride as a passenger or not at all.
The quick answer
If you were born on or after January 1, 1988 and want to drive, you need a Florida boating safety education card or a temporary certificate. Visitors take the temporary test online before check-in (the listings quote about 15 minutes and $10 to $14); it is valid for 90 days. Passengers do not need it. Bring photo ID.
Who needs the Florida boater safety certificate?
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 who will drive the jet ski, unless they already hold a boating safety education card.
The rule is about the driver, not the rider. If you were born in 1987 or earlier, you do not need it. If two of you share a ski and only one drives, only the driver needs to qualify.
Certificate sorted? Check your date for the island jet ski tour.
Check dates for the island jet ski tourHow do visitors get the temporary certificate?
Take an approved online test before you arrive; you get a temporary certificate valid for 90 days.
Key West Boat & Jet Ski links to the boattests101 test and quotes $9.99; that site lists $13.95. Sunset Watersports says the test takes about 15 minutes and texts you the link. Barefoot Billy's lets drivers take it at its desk, with a 1-hour check-in instead of 30 minutes, per its FAQ. Save the certificate on your phone or print it.
Does my home country's boating license count?
Only if it comes from another US state or territory and meets the NASBLA standard, or if it is a Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator Card.
Florida exempts nonresidents who carry photo ID plus proof of a NASBLA-approved boating course or exam from another state or US territory, and it accepts the Canadian card (F.S. 327.395). A licence from the UK, Germany or anywhere else is not on that list.
Take the temporary test instead. It costs little and takes minutes. An argument at check-in can cost you your slot.
How old do you have to be to drive?
Florida law says no one under 14 may operate a jet ski, and liveries may not rent one to anyone under 18, so a parent rents.
Operators add their own rules. Key West Boat & Jet Ski lets 16 and 17-year-olds drive alone with a parent present to sign waivers, and 14 and 15-year-olds drive with an adult on the back. Sunset Watersports and Barefoot Billy's let 16 and 17-year-olds drive with a parent on the back; at 18 you ride solo. Six Fins requires drivers to be at least 16. More in jet skiing with kids.
What ID do you need at check-in?
Government-issued photo ID for every adult, plus a credit card in the same name at Fury.
Key West Boat & Jet Ski requires all drivers to show photo ID and be 18 to rent. Fury asks for valid photo ID from guests 18 and over, ID from 16 and 17-year-olds who drive, and a parent with ID for every minor. Fury also requires riders to speak and understand English to operate a jet ski.
Ready with ID and certificate? Fury's tour leaves from Front Street in Old Town.
Explore Fury's Front Street tourWhat other rules apply on the water?
Life jackets on everyone, the engine cutoff lanyard attached to the driver, and no riding after dark.
Florida law puts every rider in a non-inflatable, Coast Guard-approved life jacket, clips the cutoff lanyard to the driver and bans jet ski riding from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Operators turn away anyone under the influence of alcohol.
The renter has duties too. Every livery needs a state permit and must give a pre-ride lesson on handling, right of way, local hazards and emergencies (F.S. 327.54). That is the briefing at check-in.
What happens if you turn up without the certificate?
You cannot drive until you have one, so take the test before you leave your hotel.
Key West Boat & Jet Ski asks you to arrive 30 minutes early with waivers and the test done. Fury asks guests who need the test to arrive an hour before departure on its catamaran trip. Do it the night before.
All set? Pick a time for the island lap; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the island jet ski tourFrequently asked questions
Do passengers need the boater test?
No. Only the person driving the jet ski needs the certificate.
How long is the temporary certificate valid?
90 days from when you pass the test.
I was born in 1987. Do I need the test?
No. The requirement applies to people born on or after January 1, 1988.
Ready to book
Choose your ride
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD, per jet ski or per person as shown, and move with the season.
Key West Island Jet Ski Tour
- Guided 28-mile jet ski tour around Key West
- Short training session and guides on the water
- Complimentary shuttle pickup, per the listing
Barefoot Billy's Island Jet Ski Tour
- Guided jet ski tour around Key West from the Casa Marina beach
- Life jackets, towels and a locker
- Priced per jet ski; a passenger rides at no extra cost
1-Hour Freestyle Jet Ski Experience
An hour at your own pace instead of single file
