The requirements for a boating license vary by state, but all boaters can benefit from taking a boating safety course. This section will help you navigate through license terminology, guide you toward license age information for your state, direct you to a state-approved boating course, and outline reasons to take a boat license test. Boat/Vessel License Requirements Statewide licensing of boat operators began in all Alabama counties July 17, 1997 under the Boating Safety Reform Act. You must be at least 12 years of age to operate a motorized vessel on Alabama's waterways.
- You can obtain your Alabama boater license in 4 easy steps: Pay the one-time fee of $29.95 – free unlimited retries of the final exam. Study the Alabama Boating Safety Course. Receive your Certificate of Completion by mail within 1-2 weeks. Go to a Department of Public Safety Driver License Examiner's Office to have your driver's license.
- The grandfather clause for an electrical license requires no formal education such as an apprenticeship program or college degree. Grandfathering for an electrical license supersedes this educational requirement if a person can show adequate on-the-job experience.
- State of Alabama ALEA Call Center: 205-252-7445 & 205-252-7446. Shelby County License Offices. FAQ - Registration. FAQ - Handicap License Plate or Placard. FAQ - Replacement License Plate / Decal. FAQ - Request for Motor Vehicle Record.
Below you will find a list of Authorizations and Permits, as well as links to the appropriate applications.
Private Recreational Docks
Applicants who wish to use the PGP0083 permit process must ensure that their proposed dock adheres to ALL of the following criteria listed here. Please read all of the restrictions to ensure your dock qualifies for this process.
The maximum dimensions for the proposed dock under this process:
- Fixed walkway may be no wider than 6 feet, may not exceed the maximum linear length of 1000 feet, nor may it exceed 3000 square feet
- Fixed deck may not exceed 300 square feet
- Floating dock may not exceed 600 square feet for a single family, or 1000 square feet for a shared family
- Single boat hoist may not exceed 16’x 30’
- The extent of the structure does not exceed 40' past the low water line or 1/4 of the channel width at low tide whichever is less
- The Individual Permit process must be used if the proposed dock does not fit within the restriction above.
The PGP83 permit process cannot be used in the following areas: Atlantic Ocean; Altamaha River; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Brunswick Harbor; Darien River; St. Marys River; Sapelo Harbor; Savannah Harbor; Savannah River; Within 1,000 feet of properties registered in or listed as eligible for inclusion in the Nation Register of Historic Places, including the town of Vernonberg; Within 1,000 feet of areas listed in the Register of Natural Landmarks; Within areas placed on the Wild and Scenic River Study List; Within 1,000 feet of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR), National Monuments (NM), and National seashore (NS) including Fort Pulaski NM, Fort Frederica NM, Cumberland NS, Savannah NWR, Wassaw NWR, Harris Neck NWR, Blackbeard Island NWR, and Wolf Island NWR; and in habitats used by legally Protected or Special Concern Species.
If your dock qualifies for the PGP0083 process, click here for application materials for Private Recreational Docks.
Grandfathered Boat License Alabama Application
Individual Permits
Applicants with proposed docks that do not conform to the size or location restrictions in the PGP0083 must use the Individual Permit (IP) process. Under this process, the applicant must submit all application materials to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division AND to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Savannah Regional District Office. Applicants with proposed docks that do not conform to the PGP0083 due to size must also submit justification as to why the structure cannot adhere to the PGP0083 standards. Justifications must be need based and water dependent. If the applicant is proposing more than one boat hoist, boat registration information must be submitted for each owned vessel. Applicants that wish to share a single dock with more than four waterfront residents or any non-waterfront residents must use the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act Application Process.
If your dock qualifies for the IP process, click here for application materials for Individual Permits.
Bank Stabilization on Tidally Influenced Areas
Due to the dynamic nature of our area, erosion of upland can occur anywhere along tidal river and creek banks. Protecting the upland bank may be necessary to preserve the integrity and stability of your property. Bank stabilization techniques can include hard structures like bulkheads and seawalls, or softer techniques like riprap placement or living shorelines techniques. In any case of bank stabilization projects occurring below the high tide line or within a marsh jurisdictional area a permit is required.
- Structures that are less than 500 linear feet are permitted through the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), under the Nationwide Permit (NWP) #13 (please contact William M. Rutlin, Branch Chief, with the US Army Corps of Engineers office at 912.652.5893 or william.m.rutlin@usace.army.mil) and the Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources issuance of the State of Georgia Revocable License.
- If the NWP conditions are met, application does not need to be made to the USACE. Application materials must be sent to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division AND to the Environmental Protection Division Coastal Office to ensure that no buffer variance is required.
Contact your local permit coordinator at our Brunswick headquarters office at (912) 264-7218 with questions or to schedule a pre-application site visit.
Marsh Permits
The CMPA permit application process is intended for structures that will impact jurisdictional marsh and tidal water bodies. Structures covered under the Act include marinas, community docks, bridges, dredging, bank stabilizations longer than 500’, modification to any such structure, and any construction not exempted from the Act. The CMPA Permit-Issuing Authority consists of a five member GADNR Board appointed group called the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act Committee. Depending on the size and nature of a project, the application materials may be heard by the Committee in a public meeting forum. Projects to be considered must be water dependent and within the public interest.
Shore Permits
The SPA permit application process is intended for structures that will impact jurisdictional shore areas. Structures covered under the Act include:
- beach renourishment
- rock revetments
- landscaping
- dune crossovers
- any structure in the jurisdictional area
Letters of Permission
During the 2013 Legislative Session, House Bill 402 was passed to include amendments to both the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) and the Shore Protection Act (SPA).
Per House Bill 402, Letter of Permission is defined in both acts to mean, “written authorization from the department to conduct a proposed activity in an area subject to the jurisdiction of this part, provided such activity is either within the physical perimeter of an existing serviceable project or involves the construction and removal of a project or other temporary activity that concludes within six months, inclusive of the time needed to return all affected areas to a condition approximately to, or better than, that which existed before commencement of the activity.”
In plain language, House Bill 402 does the following regarding a Letter of Permission:
• Makes it clear through statutory language that the procedure of issuing a Letter of Permission falls under the powers and duties of the Department of Natural Resources.
• Allows the Department to collect a reasonable fee for processing a Letter of Permission (at this time there are no plans to collect such a fee).
• Adds language that clarifies that no Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) or Shore Protection Act (SPA) permit is required for an activity authorized by a Letter of Permission.
• Requires the Department to provide public notification of the issuance of a Letter of Permission at least 15-days prior to the commencement of the activity authorized by such Letter of Permission. Public notification may not be required if the department has determined that such activity is necessary for public safety or the delivery of public services.
In order for staff to properly evaluate and issue a Letter of Permission, at a minimum the following items are required:
• A request for a LOP must be provided to staff for evaluation a minimum of 45 business days prior to the proposed start date of the activity.
• The request must be from someone who owns or has an interest in the subject property or has permission from such individual or entity.
• Proposed project scope, including the timeframe of the proposed activity.
• Proposed project drawings.
Contact your local permit coordinator at the Brunswick headquarters office at (912) 264-7218 with questions or to schedule a pre-application site visit.
Research and Monitoring
To evaluate and provide appropriate authorization for research and monitoring projects conducted in the state's jurisdictional areas for the public interest, a written proposal is required.
Beach Driving
Beach driving, as indicated by Title 12, Rule 391-2-2, is allowed for under very specific criteria and is handled by CRD staff through the authority of the SPA Committee. A Beach Driving Authorization is required when a motor vehicle is used on, over, or across the dynamic dune field or beaches. Those individuals seeking an authorization must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Shore Protection Committee that they meet one or more of the criteria which justify driving on the beach.
Please note: Applications will NOT be considered for renewal more than 90 days prior to expiration.
Click here for the Beach Driving Authorization Application, or contact the Beach Driving Coordinator, at our Brunswick headquarters office at (912) 264-7218 with any questions.
Waterbottoms Lease
Grandfathered Boat License Alabama Requirements
Leases of public trust marshlands and waterbottoms are granted by the Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee for marina facilities with greater than five hundred linear feet of mooring space. The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act requires that the lease fee charged to for-profit facilities reflect fair market value. The Georgia Coastal Management Program has been designated by the Committee to act on its behalf to evaluate, enforce, and execute water bottom leases. Amendments to the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act made during the 2009 session of the Georgia General Assembly resulted in minor fluctuations of annual lease payments. House Bill 170, now codified at Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 12-5-287(d), establishes a base annual lease fee in 2009 of $1,000.00 per acre and a mechanism to adjust the annual lease rate to changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee reviews base annual rent on or before May 1 each year. Beginning in 2010, the 2009 rate of change (inflation or deflation) in the CPI for urban consumers, less food and energy, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, is used to calculate the total amount due.
