Privacy Policy

Boat Skill LLC ("us", "we", "our", or the "Company"), a Tennessee limited liability company with its principal place of business in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and online boating safety education course (the "Service").

By using our Service, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our Service.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when registering for our course, including:

• Identity Information: Full legal name (first and last name)
• Contact Information: Email address, phone number, mailing address
• Demographic Information: Date of birth
• Government Identification: Driver's license or state ID number, issuing state, and photographs of your ID (front and back)
• Account Credentials: Password (stored in encrypted form)

1.2 Course Activity Data

We automatically collect information about your course activity, including:

• Course progress and completion status
• Quiz and examination scores
• Time spent on lessons and modules
• Examination attempts and results

1.3 Technical Information

We automatically collect certain technical information when you visit our website:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3. Identity Verification and Photo ID

In preparation for future NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators) approval and to ensure the integrity of our educational platform, we require photo identification verification. This includes:

• Collection of your driver's license or state ID number
• Upload and secure storage of photographs of your ID (front and back)
• Verification that your ID matches your account information

How we protect your ID photos:

• Photos are transmitted using TLS/SSL encryption
• Photos are stored in encrypted cloud storage (AWS S3) with restricted access
• Access is limited to authorized administrative personnel only
• Photos are retained for the minimum period required for regulatory compliance

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for the following periods:

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Regulatory Authorities: If and when we obtain official approval, we may share course completion data with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), NASBLA, or other regulatory bodies as required for certification purposes.
• Service Providers: We use third-party service providers for hosting, payment processing, email delivery, and cloud storage. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or government regulation.
• Business Transfers: If Boat Skill LLC is acquired or merged, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.
• Completion Verification: Limited information (name, completion date, birth year) may be accessible via our verification system to validate course completion records.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain processing activities
• Withdrawal: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Note: Due to regulatory requirements for boater education records, we may not be able to delete certain course completion and certification data. We will inform you of any limitations.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Maintain your login session
• Remember your preferences
• Analyze website usage and improve our Service
• Prevent fraud and enhance security

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Service.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data transmission
• Encrypted storage for sensitive data
• Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls and authentication
• Secure cloud infrastructure (AWS)

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 14 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 14. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including:

• Right to know what personal information we collect
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@boatskill.com.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For data protection inquiries, please email privacy@boatskill.com with "Privacy Inquiry" in the subject line. We will respond within 30 days.

By using our Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.