Renting a boat in Okaloosa County this winter: card, age and wristband rules
To rent and drive a boat of 10 horsepower or more in Florida, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, needs a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card, an approved card from another state or a temporary certificate from an FWC-approved online exam, valid up to 90 days, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as of Nov. 1, 2026. Rental shops can’t rent a motorboat or jet ski to anyone under 18. In Okaloosa County, a county ordinance adds a safety video, a color wristband for each driver and a list of things the shop must hand you before you leave the dock.
Winter visitors renting in Destin, Fort Walton Beach or on Okaloosa Island get the same rules as summer crowds. Here is what to bring and what to expect.
Do I need a boating card to rent a boat in Florida?
It depends on your birth date and the engine:
- Born before Jan. 1, 1988: Florida doesn’t require a card. The shop still gives you a safety briefing before you leave.
- Born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, boat of 10 hp or more: bring a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card, a NASBLA-approved card from another state, or a temporary certificate from an FWC-approved online exam. The temporary certificate is valid up to 90 days. Carry it with a photo ID (FWC).
Most rental pontoons and all rental jet skis are above 10 hp, so a renter born in 1988 or later should plan on the card or the online exam before arriving.
How old do you have to be to rent?
Florida liveries can’t rent a motorboat or jet ski to anyone under 18; paddle-only rentals are the exception (FWC livery rules). To operate a jet ski at all in Florida, you must be at least 14.
What does Okaloosa County add?
The county’s Waterway Rental Vendor Safety Ordinance, Ordinance 22-08, covers rented motorboats and jet skis everywhere in the county except cities with their own ordinance. It doesn’t apply to kayaks, paddleboards, canoes or boats run by a Coast Guard-licensed captain.
Before you leave, the shop has to show you the “Okaloosa Boating and Waterway Safety Video,” train you on the equipment, give you emergency contacts and explain the no-wake zones and the Crab Island safety corridor.
Each driver gets a wristband:
| Wristband | Who gets it |
|---|---|
| Green | 18 or older and born before Jan. 1, 1988 |
| Pink | Born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, with a NASBLA card or temporary exam; also 16- and 17-year-olds with one |
| Yellow | 16 or older who may drive only with a qualifying person aboard |
What must the rental shop hand you?
Ordinance 22-08 lists what you leave the dock with. Use it as a checklist at the counter; if something is missing, ask before you sign.
- A rental contract
- A phone number to reach the rental shop
- Instructions for the boat's equipment
- A map showing the shop and the restricted zones
- Emergency contacts
- A way to communicate: cellphone or marine radio
- Life jackets marked with the shop's name
How can I tell the shop is permitted?
Two permits apply. The state’s FWC Livery Operator Permit is free, renewed every year and requires insurance of at least $500,000 per person and $1 million per event; renting without one is a first-degree misdemeanor. Every renter gets a pre-rental briefing on FWC forms 313A or 313B, which the shop keeps for 90 days (FWC).
In Okaloosa County, a shop also needs a yearly county permit, running from March 1 to the end of February, displayed at the shop. The ordinance requires a response boat and marine radio on site, a dock, restroom and parking, and the same insurance minimums. Renting without the county permit is a misdemeanor for each boat, up to $500 and 60 days in jail (Ordinance 22-08).
What rules catch winter renters?
- Earlier sunsets. Daylight saving time ended Nov. 1. Jet skis can’t run from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, so plan rentals to be back well before dark (FWC).
- Life jackets. Everyone on a jet ski, or being towed behind one, wears a non-inflatable life jacket. A child under 6 wears a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on a boat under 26 feet while it’s underway (FWC).
- Alcohol. The operator is presumed impaired at .08; under 21, the limit is .02 (FWC).
- No-wake zones. It’s idle speed, no wake within 500 feet of the fuel pumps at the Fort Walton Beach Yacht Basin, with fines up to $500 (Okaloosa County Ordinance 19-06).
Where can I check?
State rules are on the FWC boating regulations page and the FWC boating education FAQ. County rental rules are in Chapter 12 of the Okaloosa County Code of Ordinances. In an emergency on the water, call 911.
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Questions and answers
- Do I need a boating license to rent a pontoon in Destin?
- If you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, and the boat has 10 hp or more, you need a Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card, an approved card from another state or a temporary certificate from an FWC-approved exam (FWC).
- How old do you have to be to rent a jet ski in Florida?
- 18 to rent. You must be at least 14 to operate one (FWC).
- What do the wristband colors mean in Okaloosa County?
- Green: 18 or older and born before 1988. Pink: born in 1988 or later with a boating card or temporary exam, including 16- and 17-year-olds. Yellow: 16 or older who may drive only with a qualifying person aboard (Okaloosa County Ordinance 22-08).
- How long is Florida's temporary boating certificate good for?
- Up to 90 days. Carry it with a photo ID (FWC).