Finally got myself a small 10ft boat and got it all set up and ready for this weekend! Took the online boating safety course and quiz and thought I would be good to go. Turns out I have to wait for the course to physically mail me the completion certificate before the dmv will give me my boating license. I guess showing them that I completed the course and paid the money isn't good enough. And the online course doesn't offer you the option of just printing out a completion certificate like other states do! They have to mail it....1 - 2 weeks. 

 

Guess Ill be fishing from the shore again this weekend. What a bummer. Other states offer temp licenses or something as long as you have completed the requirements. Doesnt seem like Alabama does this, does anybody know for sure? I dont mean to be impatient but I really dont want to wait another 2 weeks to take my boat out especially since I have done everything I need to do.

 

Thanks

Almost all other states that allow online courses do have temporary certificates available to print immediately after passing the exam. I know for sure that Alabama is one of the only states that has a different process. Because the "V" designation is added to the driver's license, it's not the private course provider but the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Marine Police Division that mails out the Certificate of Completion. Unfortunately, all of the online courses for Alabama are set up this way as per the state's regulations so there's no way around it. The good thing is, the certificate usually arrives in the mail within a week, so it might arrive sooner than expected. Hope this helps! 

Thanks. 

 

Guess Ill just have to be patient, hopefully it will arrive this upcoming week so I can be ready for next weekend. Just a bit of a bummer I went out to the lake this morning and the weather was absolutely perfect. Water was as still as glass. Managed to pull in a small bass from the shore so it was still a good day. 

 

I was half tempted to just leave the trolling motor behind and grab the boat and paddle out there. Don't need a license for that lol.