Where candidates go wrong
- They think senza limiti is for bigger boats. It is still a category A licence: units up to 24 m and jet skis. Over 24 m you need the patente B.
- They think the licence moves the boat's limits. A CE-marked natante stays within its design category and never beyond 12 nm; a jet ski stays within 1 nm (Codice art. 27). Senza limiti really matters for imbarcazioni (over 10 m) whose navigation licence allows unlimited navigation.
- They apply at the Motorizzazione. Senza limiti applications go to a maritime-authority office (Capitaneria or Ufficio circondariale) for your domicile or residence.
- 12 nm holders revise for the base quiz. They do not sit it: only the chartwork.
What it allows
The patente A senza alcun limite dalla costa (category A, no distance limit) covers command of natanti, imbarcazioni and jet skis with no distance limit. It may be motor only or include sail (with the quiz vela and a sail practical). Remember that Codice art. 39 requires a licence for any unit up to 24 m going beyond 6 nm, sail included.
The route
| Step | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age and fitness | 18, medical certificate, good character: no drug, immigration or smuggling convictions unless rehabilitated | D.M. 146/2008 arts 35-37 |
| Application | Maritime-authority office for your domicile or residence | Guardia Costiera |
| Wait | Tests no earlier than 30 days after applying | art. 29 c.1 |
| Theory | Board appointed by the capo del circondario marittimo | art. 29 c.3 |
| Practical | Separate session, examiner qualified under art. 29 c.3(b); training hours attested by a nautical school | art. 29 c.5; D.M. 323/2021 art. 3 |
Which tests you sit
| Candidate | Written tests (D.M. 323/2021 art. 6) |
|---|---|
| New, motor only | Prova di carteggio (chartwork paper) + quiz base |
| New, motor and sail | Chartwork + base quiz + sail quiz |
| 12 nm holder | Chartwork only (supplementary exam) |
The chartwork comes first and is propedeutica (a gate): fail it and you do not go on to the base quiz. You may, however, ask to continue for the 12 nm licence by sitting the chart quiz instead.
TIP — Think ahead to category B Three years of senza limiti and age 21 are the entry ticket to the licence for yachts over 24 m. If that is where you are heading, the clock starts on the day of issue.
Validity
10 years, or 5 if you are 60 or over at issue or renewal (art. 38).
What the examiner wants to see
A candidate who knows why they are there: beyond 12 miles nobody corrects your course for you. In four problems and an hour the board checks that you can take a boat from A to B and always know where you are. The practical, at sea, checks that your hands agree with your pencil.
Vocabolario d'esame
| Italiano | English |
|---|---|
| senza alcun limite dalla costa | no distance limit from the coast |
| prova di carteggio nautico | chartwork paper |
| esame integrativo | supplementary exam |
| commissione d'esame | examining board |
| capo del circondario marittimo | head of the maritime district |
| natante / imbarcazione | boat ≤10 m / 10-24 m |