The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is sponsoring a Wisconsin DNR Certified Boating Safety Course.The dates, times and location for the course are as follows:

June 24th and June 26th at Fort Wilderness, 6180 Spider Lake Road, Rhinelander, WI. Times for the course are 11:00AM to 3:00PM June 24th and 11:00AM to 5:00PM June 26th . 

Wisconsin has passed a Mandatory Boating Education Bill.  This bill requires anyone born on or after 1-1-89 and at least 16 years of age to have a boating safety certificate to operate a motorboat on Wisconsin’s waterways. Students are now required to obtain a DNR customer ID number for any recreational safety class they attend.  Please contact the DNR at 1-888-936-7463 between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM daily to obtain this number before the course begins. Students must be at least 12 years old to enroll. There is no maximum age, and parents and adults are encouraged to enroll and participate in the courses. 

Advance registration is requested. Please contact Deputy Brad Fogerty at the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, telephone number 715-361-5132 for details on the courses and to register. The course fee is $10.00, which covers all necessary materials.Classes will cover boating safety topics such as equipment requirements, rules and regulations, ethics, operator responsibility, and basic navigation. There will also be an on water practical exercise covering a variety of boating safety topics. Boating can be fun when done properly. We need better-educated boaters to protect the positive image of boating with the increased demands on the waterways of Oneida County. Students with special needs are asked to notify the department when registering and request special accommodations that may be required for participation.