Oat crown rust caused by Puccinia coronata Cda f. sp. avenae Erikss (Pca), is a major constraint to oat (Avena sativa L.) production in many parts of the globe, with host resistance applied as a common strategy to curb crown rust epidemics. Combining multiple sources of crown rust resistance (for example, Pc genes conferring seedling resistance) in a single genetic background can be expedited by marker-assisted selection using molecular markers that are tightly linked with resistance loci. Pc96 is a race-specific crown rust resistance gene originating from cultivated oat that has been deployed in North American oat breeding programs. SNP markers linked with Pc96 were identified using multiple interval mapping with 899 polymorphic SNPs in a recombinant inbred line population developed from a cross between the oat crown rust differential known to carry Pc96 and the differential line carrying Pc54. A single resistance locus was identified on chromosome 7D between 60.4 and 91.6 cM with a peak LOD at 87.3 cM. The resistance locus and linked SNPs were validated in two additional biparental populations, Ajay x Pc96 and Pc96 x Kasztan. Genotype state at a combination of two linked SNPs predicted the absence of Pc96 in a broad group of germplasm with 5% miss-classification. SNPs that are closely linked to the gene may be beneficial as PCR-based molecular markers in marker-assisted selection.