The US SAILING Keelboat Certification System is a cooperative effort among sailing schools, charter companies, the sailing industry, and US SAILING volunteers and staff. The system began in 1993, at the suggestion of representatives of a number of commercial sailing schools around the United States. It is specifically designed to provide quality training and certification in keelboats for daysailing, coastal cruising, bareboat chartering, navigation and offshore passage making.

The Keelboat Certification System offers seven levels of certification, from Basic Keelboat through Offshore Passagemaking. These certifications follow a "building block" technique of compiling learned skills with experience. New sailors gain knowledge and experience at each level, and can take their sailing skills as far as they want to go at their own pace.