A new boating law will go into effect in Minnesota on July 1. Here's what to know.
It's boating season in Minnesota, and a new law meant to make our lakes safer might impact you as soon as next month.
Starting July 1, anyone from the ages of 12 to 21 will need an operator's permit to drive a motorboat.
Tom Jacob, the owner of Bay to Bay Boat Club in Excelsior, hired a lobbyist a couple of years ago to help push the law through.
He says Bay to Bay has a perfect safety record in 25 years in business. He credits part of that success to his 40-minute orientation for anyone renting a boat.
"If they don't like it, I guess they can go somewhere else, but I don't want to put anyone on the lake that just wants to go out and party," said Jacob.
In a few years, the law requiring a boating license will expand to include all Minnesotans under the age of 41. Anyone renting a boat will also need one, no matter their age.
"I think it is a good idea because a lot of people don't even know what the signs [on the water] mean," said Ryan Mann, a teenager from Wayzata who got his permit when he was 15.
Getting a permit requires passing a safety course and paying a $35 fee, which goes to the company running the course.
Jacob says he's heard some boat clubs are worried the new rules could scare off customers.
"I think it's worth sacrificing a couple rentals," said Jacob. "Dollars over safety? I take safety."
Boating deaths have been at historic lows the last two years, according to data from the Department of Natural Resources.
"We see this new requirement, which had bipartisan support and strong support from the boating community, as an important part of ensuring that trend continues," said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gorecki with the DNR Enforcement Division.
