Legal framework
Governing: Code des transports L5271-1; décret 2007-1167 art. 2, 3 and 9; arrêté of 28 Sep 2007. Applies to: anyone at the helm of a motor pleasure boat in French waters.
The rule in one line
Anyone helming a motor pleasure boat whose engine power is more than 4.5 kW (6 CV) must hold a permis de conduire des bateaux de plaisance à moteur (décret 2007-1167 art. 2). The permis is not about the boat's length or the number of guests. It is about power. A 5 m rib with a 40 CV outboard needs one; a 7 m day-sailer under sail does not.
| Situation | Permis needed at sea? |
|---|---|
| Motor boat, engine 4.5 kW (6 CV) or less | No |
| Motor boat, engine above 4.5 kW | Yes: option côtière up to 6 nm from a shelter |
| Same boat going more than 6 nm from a shelter | Yes: extension hauturière |
| Sailing boat, with or without auxiliary engine | No |
| Jet ski (VNM) | Yes, see L1.3 |
What "6 miles from a shelter" means
The côtière option allows navigation, day and night, up to 6 nautical miles from a shelter (abri). Division 240 defines a shelter as a place on the coast where a boat and her crew can reach safety by anchoring, beaching or berthing, and leave again without assistance, taking into account the weather of the moment and the boat itself. A beach that is fine in a calm becomes a lee shore in a mistral. Your 6 nm is measured from somewhere you could genuinely use today, not from any bit of coast.
Licence-free boats
Rental bases usually keep a few boats at or below 4.5 kW for customers without a licence. They are slow, which is the point. The law on equipment still applies to them: lifejackets, a light, a bailer and so on (L2.1). The 300 m band and its 5-knot limit apply as well (L3.1). Low power is not the same as no rules.
CAUTION — "6 CV" on the plate The threshold is engine power, not what the hirer tells you. If the plate or the manual shows more than 4.5 kW, a licence is required whatever the brochure says.
Sailing boats
At sea, no permis is required for sailing boats, even when they carry an auxiliary engine (décret art. 2). A charter company may still ask for a sailing CV or check your skills before handing over a yacht. That is the company protecting its boat, not a legal requirement.
Age, accompanied driving and teenagers
- The minimum age for the permis is 16 (décret art. 3).
- From 16, a person may helm without a permis for one year if accompanied by someone who has held a permis for at least 3 years. The companion files a declaration beforehand, and driving stays within the companion's own licence (décret art. 9).
- From 14 to 16, young people may helm by day within an affiliated sports club, under that club's supervision.
A teenager at the helm of the family's rented rib, with a parent who has no French or recognised licence, fits none of these.
Flag and residence
French licence rules follow the French flag, even in foreign waters (mer.gouv.fr). Nearly all rental fleets in France are French-flagged, so French rules apply to you. Separately, residents of France who own or use foreign-flag boats or jet skis must follow the French licence and equipment rules in French territorial waters (Code des transports L5241-1-1).
TIP — getting the permis Training takes at least 5 h of theory and 3h30 of practical at an approved bateau-école, then a 40-question test with no more than 5 errors, in French. See Permis Côtier prep if you plan to sit it.