Conservation ID Number, Purchase your Certificate, Temporary Certificate, Reprint your Certificate
Conservation ID Number
What is a Connecticut Conservation ID Number?
A Connecticut Conservation ID Number (ID) is a unique and permanent number that is assigned to you by the Connecticut Online Sportsmen Licensing System. Prior to taking a safe boating course, your instructor will ask for this number and your month and day of birth. Also, you will need your ID prior to taking the online safe waterskiing course. The ID is required for printing the safe waterskiing endorsement, purchasing your boating certificate,or reprinting your certificate.
Obtaining a Conservation ID Number**
**If you have a Connecticut Hunting or Fishing License, your Conservation ID Number will be the same ID number that was assigned with the hunting or fishing license.
You do not need to get a new ID for a the safe boating course or the online safe waterskiing course.
If you have never been issued a Conservation ID Number, go to the Online Sportsmen Licensing system and create an account under "New Customer" to obtain the ID.
Purchase Your Certificate
Within a week of completing your course and passing your exam, you should be able to purchase your certificate from your home computer by going to the Online Sportsmen Licensing system. The fee for the Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation is $50.00.
Use your Last name and Date of Birth and then in step 2, select "Conservation ID" , enter your ID and select the current season to finish log in. Select the next button and then under the Boating tab, you will have the ability to add the Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation to the cart. You will need a printer to print your certificate and sales receipt. The printed certificate is your official document. After signing it, you must carry it whenever you operate your vessel. In the event of printer or user error, you will be allowed to reprint your certificate at any time by logging back into the system. For those that do not have access to a computer, you may go to the DEEP Processing Office or use a computer at a local library.
If you completed a boating safety course a long time ago, you will need to obtain a Connecticut Conservation Identification Number to purchase your certificate. See Conservation ID Number above for further instructions or obtain an ID number from one of our DEEP Processing Offices.
Bring your diploma to a DEEP Processing Office with the $50 fee. If you have already applied for the Conservation Identification Number you can simply pay the fee and show your approved diploma.
Temporary Certificates
If you purchase and register a new or used boat and do not have a Safe Boating Certificate, you may apply for a Temporary Safe Boating Certificate. It is valid for three months from the date of vessel registration. Within that time, you must qualify for and obtain a permanent Safe Boating Certificate in order to operate after the temporary certificate expires.
If you purchase a new or used personal watercraft and do not qualify for a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation, you may apply for a Temporary Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation after you have registered the vessel and have completed an approved Safe Personal Watercraft Handling Course. The temporary certificate is valid for three months from the date of vessel registration. Within that time, you must qualify for and obtain a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation, allowing you to operate your craft after the temporary certificate expires.
The fee for a Temporary SBC or Temporary CPWO is $50.00. No person shall be issued more than one temporary certificate.
An application for a Temporary Safe Boating Certificate must be obtained at a DEEP Processing Office.
Reprint Your Certificate a.k.a Duplicate Certificate
All duplicate certificates will be available online for you to print free of charge.
If you have a Connecticut Hunting or Fishing license, the Conservation ID Number associated with your license will also have your Safe Boating or Personal Watercraft certificate information associated with it.
If you do not have a hunting or fishing license, you were automatically assigned a Conservation ID Number when the boating data was imported into the licensing system. If you have had a hunting or fishing license in the past couple of years or took a Hunter Education Course in CT from 1982 on, you are already in the system with a Conservation ID Number. We did our best to match your boating license information to your hunting/fishing license information. By doing this, all of your hunting/fishing and boating information will be tied to your permanent Conservation ID Number.
If you require assistance locating your Conservation ID Number, please contact the Boating Division at 860-434-8638 or deep.boating@ct.gov.
To print a certificate:
- Go to the Online Sportsmen Licensing system.
- Under "Returning Customer"
- Step 1-Type in your Last Name and your Date of Birth.
- Step 2-Select "Conservation ID" Enter your Conservation ID. Select the current year.
- Select "Finish Login"
- Select "Click here to reprint your license"
- Your Certificate will need to be saved to your computer and then you can print a copy of your certificate for free.
Content last updated March 13, 2020.