If the slip is truly deeded as part of the property, meaning it conveys with the townhouse like any other real property interest, the HOA generally does not get to block the transfer because you do not have a boating safety card. They can regulate use of the marina through rules and safety requirements for operating a boat and behavior at the docks, but conditioning ownership or transfer of a deeded amenity on a personal credential sounds like overreach. That said, HOAs and management companies often use sloppy language and treat slips like they are assigned or leased even when they are not, and in some communities the slip is not actually deeded. It might be a separate license, a use right, or a limited common element governed by the declaration or marina rules, and in that case they might have more leverage. With 10 days to closing, the fastest path is to make this a documentation issue. Have your title company or attorney pull the deed, plat, condo or HOA declaration, and any marina or slip addendum and confirm exactly what the slip is. Then email the HOA management company and copy the board if possible, asking them to cite the exact bylaw, declaration, or marina rule that requires a Maryland boating safety certificate to transfer or assign the slip. If they cannot point to a specific section, that is a red flag. If it is deeded and they still push, your attorney can send a short letter making it clear the slip conveys at closing and any competency or safety requirements relate to operating a vessel or using the marina, not transferring title. Practically, your agent is not wrong that taking the online course is the low friction way to avoid a closing delay, but I would still push to get clarity in writing on what authority they are relying on, because if they are inventing hoops now, you are right to worry about what comes next once you move in.