Boating safety courses certified by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are available to Illinois boaters of all ages. Persons who successfully
complete a DNR-certified boating safety course will earn a certificate from the State of Illinois.
NOTE: Effective January 1, 2016, no person born on or after January 1, 1998, will
be allowed to operate a motorized watercraft in Illinois without a boating safety certificate issued by DNR or an entity or organization recognized and approved by DNR.
Boating safety courses are available from a variety of sources throughout the state. In Springfield / Sangamon County, two of the best known are sponsored by CWLP and the Land of Lincoln Power Squadron.
2019 Kwedar Safe Boating Clinics
For over 30 years, CWLP has offered free boating safety clinics each spring geared to youth education The Kwedar Safe Boating Clinics originated as a memorial to Melissa Kwedar, a Springfield teen who was killed in boating accident on Lake White near Waverly, Ohio in 1982. The clinics consist of two half-day Saturday sessions and are geared toward persons aged 12 and older. Participants who successfully complete the course will earn a DNR safe boating certificate. (Session 1 and Session 2 are identical courses.)
The Kwedar Safe Boating Clinics are held at the CWLP Property Management Center (PMC), 200 E. Lake Shore Drive, just east of the Spaulding Boat Launch in Springfield. Call CWLP Security at 757-8600 to register. Children 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants are encouraged to bring drinks and snacks.
- Course 1
Saturday, March 23 (8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.)
Saturday, March 30 (8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.)
- Course 2
Saturday, April 6 (8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.)
Saturday, April 13 (8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.)
Land of Lincoln Power Squadron ABC Safe Boating Course
Sponsored by the Land of Lincoln Power Squadron, each Spring and Summer classes will be held at the CWLP Property Management Center (PMC), 200 E. Lake Shore Drive, in Springfield. To successfully complete the course and receive their boating safety certificates, participants must attend all four classes of the course.
Classes on using radios and marine charts, are also periodically offered for more experienced boaters.
For more information, call Greg Kelso 217.494.8455 or visit www.lolps.org.