French boat licence: coastal, offshore, inland waters — who needs what

“Do I need the coastal or the offshore licence?”, “What about my sailing boat?”, “Is my licence valid on the Seine?”: the French pleasure-boat licence comes down to a few simple rules, but the names have changed several times and the old titles are still around. This guide sums up who needs what, based on the official pages of the French Ministry of the Sea and of Service-Public consulted in November 2026. Regulations can change: when in doubt, the departmental directorate of territories and the sea (DDTM) for your area has the last word.

1. When the licence is compulsory

The licence is required to drive a motor pleasure boat with more than 4.5 kW (6 hp). Below that, no licence is needed, but navigation rules and safety equipment apply as they do to everyone — see compulsory safety equipment.

• Sailing boat at sea: no licence, even with an auxiliary engine. This is the case for most cruising sailing boats and catamarans.
• Sailing boat on a river or canal: if it has an engine of more than 4.5 kW, a licence valid for inland waters is required.
• Boat under the French flag: the French licence applies, even when you sail in another country’s waters. There is no “international licence” for pleasure boating.

2. The two basic options

The coastal option (the sea)

It allows you to drive at sea, by day and by night, up to 6 miles from a shelter (a place where the boat can berth or anchor safely), with no limit on power or size for a private boat. It is the licence held by the vast majority of motor-boat owners. It also covers lakes and enclosed waters, but not rivers and canals.

The inland waters option (rivers and canals)

It covers rivers and canals. An owner who sails both at sea and inland needs both options; once you hold one, you can take the other as an independent candidate, without repeating the practical training.

3. The two extensions

The offshore extension: beyond 6 miles

It is not a separate licence but an extension of the coastal option: you must hold the coastal option (or an equivalent former title, permis A or permis mer côtier). It removes the distance limit. The exam is a single theory test of about 1 hour 30, with no practical at sea: an exercise on a nautical chart (course, coordinates, headings), a tide calculation and questions on weather, electronic aids and safety equipment. According to Service-Public, you need at least 10 out of 20, including at least 7 on the chart part. Training in a school is not compulsory: many prepare on their own, but the chart exercise requires real practice. These sessions are organised by the DDTMs.

The large inland pleasure craft extension

It completes the inland waters option for large river boats. It requires practical training, with no independent candidates.

4. Who needs what: common cases

• Motor cruiser or RIB over 6 hp, day trips: coastal option.
• Motor boat cruising offshore or crossing to an island more than 6 miles from a shelter: coastal + offshore extension.
• Cruising sailing boat or catamaran at sea: no licence, whatever the distance; good training remains essential, and an insurer or a charter company may ask for experience.
• Small barge or motor boat on the canals (outside supervised hire): inland waters option.
• Engine of 6 hp or less (tender, small dinghy): no licence.
• Former title (permis A, permis mer côtier, carte mer): former titles remain valid without any formality, within their own limits. The carte mer, for example, is valid only by day, within 6 miles of a shelter, for an engine of 4.5 to 37 kW; it can be converted into the coastal option through a multiple-choice test.

5. Getting the coastal (or inland waters) option

• Age: 16 to enrol in training (special rules apply between 14 and 16 in a club affiliated to an approved sports federation).
• An approved school is compulsory for a first option: independent candidates are not accepted.
• Theory training: at least 5 hours.
• The theory exam: since 1 June 2022, a multiple-choice test of 40 questions, 5 errors allowed, on a tablet, with an approved provider (La Poste, Dekra, SGS, Bureau Veritas) where you register directly. A pass remains valid for 18 months.
• Practical training: at least 3 hours 30 of individual instruction, including 2 hours at the helm. No practical exam before an inspector: the instructor validates.
• The medical certificate, less than 6 months old (form Cerfa 14673), from a doctor registered with the medical council; no teleconsultation. It is only required for the first option.

6. What it costs

According to the Ministry of the Sea: €78 issuing fee for a first option, €30 to register for the theory test with the private provider, and a €38 stamp for the offshore extension. On top of that comes the price of training at a boating school, which varies by region, package and number of practical hours: compare several schools, what is included (online theory, practical hours, exam fees) and session dates.

7. The points people forget

• The VHF: the pleasure-boat licence allows its use in French territorial waters. Beyond them, or for certain international voyages, a radio operator’s certificate may be required.
• A licence from another European Union country allows you to drive a French boat within the limits of that licence; an equivalence is requested from the DDTM of Seine-Maritime (sea) or the DDT of Nord (inland waters).
• A boat under a foreign flag follows the rules of its flag: ask the embassy or the authorities concerned.
• Before a long voyage, the licence is only one part of the file: boat papers, insurance, entry formalities in the countries you visit — see entry formalities by country and preparing an Atlantic crossing.

Once on board, keep a copy of your licence with the boat’s papers. The Hullteam logbook keeps the documents of the boat and the crew in one place, with their expiry dates — see which proofs count.

Sources

Pages consulted in November 2026 (in French).

• Le permis plaisance — French Ministry of the Sea (mer.gouv.fr, updated 17/04/2026)
• L’examen théorique du permis plaisance évolue — French Ministry of the Sea
• Permis bateau de plaisance option côtière — Service-Public
• Extension hauturière — Service-Public
• Permis côtier et extension hauturière : ce qui change vraiment — Figaro Nautisme (2026)