SAVANNAH — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department Marine Patrol Unit will conduct a boater safety course on July 19.

The course is free and is required of boaters of certain ages and at least 12 years old to operate certain vessels.

The class will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., with a lunch break included, at the SCMPD training facility in the Savannah Mall (on the second floor next to Dillard’s).

The course is limited to 30 participants.

On July 1, a new mandatory education law went into effect, requiring anyone born after Jan. 1, 1998, to have successfully completed a Georgia DNR-approved boater education course to operate a powerboat in the state of Georgia.

To sign-up for the course, contact the SCMPD Savannah Mall Training Center at (912) 921-5450. For more information, contact Georgia DNR at (912) 264-7237 or the SCMPD Marine Patrol at (912) 353-1004.

This class will be offered again on Aug. 16.