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PLATE 01
Guide 02 — The rules · Italian Recreational Boating Code
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In Italy a boat licence is compulsory in two cases, set out in art. 39 of the Recreational Boating Code: to navigate more than 6 nautical miles from the coast, and always on a jet ski; within 6 miles, whenever the engine exceeds the legal cylinder-capacity limits or, in any case, 30 kW, that is 40.8 hp. Below those thresholds a RIB can be helmed without a licence, from the age of 16 if it is a natante.
Art. 39 · Legislative Decree 171/2005 · 30 kW / 40.8 hp · 6 miles · updated 24 September 2026
PLATE 02
The general rule
The Italian boat licence (patente nautica) is the qualification to command pleasure craft up to 24 metres. Art. 39, paragraph 1, of the Recreational Boating Code (Legislative Decree 171 of 18 July 2005) makes it compulsory «in relation to the navigation actually carried out»: what matters is not the boat you own, but where you go and what engine hangs on the transom. Letter a) covers navigation beyond 6 nautical miles from the coast and, in every case, jet skis. Letter b) covers inland waters and the sea within 6 miles, whenever the engine on board exceeds a cylinder capacity fixed for each type of engine «in any case with a power above 30 kW or 40.8 hp».
In plain words: a RIB with a small engine, kept close to the shore, can be helmed without a licence. The same RIB with a 250 hp outboard always requires one, even 200 metres from the beach. And whatever engine you have, beyond 6 miles the licence is required anyway.
PLATE 03 — The distances · real photograph
Within 6 miles, the engine decides
ART. 39, PAR. 1, LETTER B · SEA AND INLAND WATERS
Up to 6 nautical miles from the coast the licence depends only on what you have on the transom: power and cylinder capacity below the limits, no licence. The same applies on lakes and rivers.
30 kW, that is 40.8 hp: the threshold that counts
POWER AND CYLINDER CAPACITY, TOGETHER · 1,000 CC FOR A FOUR-STROKE OUTBOARD
Paragraph 3 of art. 39 says it clearly: you may go without a licence with an engine «of power and cylinder capacity below» the limits. The two conditions apply together, not as alternatives.
Beyond 6 miles a licence is always required
ART. 39, PAR. 1, LETTER A · ART. 29, PAR. 2: AT LEAST ONE VHF ON BOARD
Past the 6-mile line the engine no longer matters: the licence is compulsory with any craft, and art. 29 requires at least one VHF radio, even a handheld one.
A CE-marked natante never goes beyond 12 miles
ART. 27, PAR. 4 · DESIGN CATEGORY AND IN ANY CASE WITHIN 12 MILES
With or without a licence, a RIB that remains a natante (hull up to 10 metres) navigates within the limits of its design category and in any case no further than 12 miles from the coast. The licence does not move that line: voluntary registration as an imbarcazione does.
All the guidesPLATE 04
Power and cylinder capacity
Without a boat licence, within 6 miles, you may have an engine of up to 30 kW on board, that is 40.8 hp. The phrase you hear everywhere, «no licence up to 40 hp», is only half true: the exact threshold is 40.8 hp, and it must be respected together with the cylinder-capacity limit for your type of engine. A four-stroke outboard, which is the case for every engine we fit to the NAVY RIBs, must stay within 1,000 cc. A 40 hp outboard sits below 30 kW; the cylinder capacity is on the engine plate or in the owner's manual, and it must stay within 1,000 cc.
The table below gives, for each type of engine, the cylinder capacity above which the licence becomes compulsory within 6 miles. It is the complete list of art. 39, paragraph 1, letter b), not a summary.
| Engine type | Cylinder capacity above which a licence is required |
|---|---|
| Two-stroke, carburettor | above 750 cc |
| Two-stroke, fuel injection | above 900 cc |
| Four-stroke outboard (carburettor or injection) | above 1,000 ccthe case of the Honda, Yamaha and Mercury outboards we fit to the NAVY RIBs |
| Four-stroke inboard (carburettor or injection) | above 1,300 cc |
| Naturally aspirated diesel | above 2,000 cc |
| Turbocharged diesel | above 1,300 cc |
| In any case, with any engine | power above 30 kW, that is 40.8 hpthe two conditions, power and cylinder capacity, apply together (art. 39, paragraph 3) |
Source: art. 39, paragraph 1, letter b), and paragraph 3 of Legislative Decree 171/2005, text in force read on the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 19 September 2026.
Who may take the helm
No licence does not mean no rules: the law sets a minimum age for whoever is in command, and for those who do take the licence there are four categories, plus the new D1 from the age of sixteen.
Minimum age
Art. 39, paragraph 3, sets three steps for whoever is in command without a licence within 6 miles, with an engine below the limits: 18 years for imbarcazioni da diporto, 16 years for natanti, 14 years for sailing natanti with more than 4 square metres of sail and for rowing craft more than 1 mile from the coast. A RIB with a hull of up to 10 metres, measured according to ISO 8666, is a natante (art. 3): with a 40 hp engine it may be helmed from the age of 16. The only exception concerns the water-sports schools run by the national federations and the Lega Navale (paragraph 4).
The categories
Art. 39, paragraph 6, lists four categories of boat licence. Category A qualifies you to command natanti, imbarcazioni da diporto and jet skis: it is the one for whoever helms a RIB. Category B qualifies you to command navi da diporto, that is craft over 24 metres (paragraph 2). Category C qualifies you for the nautical direction of natanti and imbarcazioni. Category D is a special qualification, which today splits into two very different types: the D1 for sixteen-year-olds and the D2, linked to physical fitness and subject to the category A procedures. For a NAVY with more than 40.8 hp the licence to take is category A.
PLATE 06
New in 2024
The category D, type D1 boat licence really exists: it is art. 27-bis of Ministerial Decree 146/2008, inserted by Ministerial Decree 133 of 17 September 2024, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 21 September 2024 and in force since 21 October 2024. It is issued to anyone aged 16 or over and allows daytime navigation only, on natanti or imbarcazioni with a hull of up to 12 metres, on inland waters and at sea within 6 miles of the coast; on jet skis within 1 mile. Until the age of 18 it remains limited to natanti and jet skis. The permitted engine goes up to 85 kW, that is 115.6 hp, with a naturally aspirated four-stroke outboard of up to 2,400 cc.
The course and the examination are set by the Ministerial Decree of 27 November 2024. One thing must be said honestly: the rule has existed since 21 October 2024, but the date from which sailing schools were actually able to start D1 courses and examinations depends on the later implementing decrees. Before enrolling a teenager, ask the sailing school since when it has been running D1 courses: it is an answer it must give you in writing.
| What | Rule |
|---|---|
| Theory | at least 5 hoursclassroom lessons in person, no more than 2 hours a day (art. 3) |
| Practice | at least 5 hoursnon-consecutive, one-to-one, navigation and engine manoeuvres (art. 3) |
| Training boat | at least 5.90 mwith an engine of more than 30 kW (art. 4) |
| Examination | 15 questionsthree answers each, only one correct (art. 5) |
| To pass | at least 12 correct answers in 30 minutesan omitted answer, or one corrected afterwards, counts as wrong (art. 5) |
| Subjects | hull theory, engines, safety of navigation, manoeuvres and helming, COLREGAnnex A of the decree |
| At eighteen | upgrade to category Awith an additional theory examination and a practical navigation test (art. 30, par. 2-bis, Ministerial Decree 146/2008) |
PLATE 07
Not a matter of engine
There are situations in which engine power has nothing to do with it: the licence is compulsory, full stop. They are few, and worth knowing before you buy, hire or lend a boat.
The question that always comes
The law does not set a price: it sets the course syllabus and the examination rules, and leaves the fee to the sailing school. The cost depends on the school, the town, the type of qualification you choose and the extra practice hours you need. The practical advice is to ask for two written quotes, listing theory hours, hours on the boat, fees and the medical examination, and to compare them line by line. If instead you want a RIB that does not require a licence, there is another way: the NAVY RIBs you can helm without a licence.
PLATE 08
How it works on the NAVY RIBs
The list price of a NAVY does not include the engine: you choose the power, and with the power you also choose whether you need a licence. On the three smallest models, the NAVY 4.80, the NAVY 5.50 and the NAVY 6.00, a four-stroke 40 hp outboard stays below 30 kW and can be helmed without a licence within 6 miles, from the age of 16: it is the most frequent request we receive, and with a 40 hp engine we advise not going above 6 metres. The NAVY 4.80 carries up to 6 people, the NAVY 5.50 up to 9, the NAVY 6.00 up to 10: all in design category C, that is designed for winds up to force 6 and a significant wave height up to 2 metres.
From the NAVY 7.60 upwards the licence enters the picture: on the 7.60 we recommend a 200 or 250 hp outboard, and the NAVY 9.50 Cabin carries two outboards. These engines are far above 30 kW: the licence is required even close to the shore. One thing that confuses people: the 9.50 Cabin is 9.80 metres overall, but the length that decides whether it is a natante or an imbarcazione is the hull length measured according to ISO 8666 and stated on the declaration of conformity, not the commercial length. Its design category is B: winds up to force 8 and a significant wave height up to 4 metres.
PLATE 09
The sources of this guide
Every article quoted on this page was read in the text in force published by the Gazzetta Ufficiale, the Italian official journal; dates and numbers are those of the decrees, not of summaries found online. If a rule changes, this page changes with it: the update date is at the top and at the bottom. The texts are in Italian.
Guide written by Naviglia Yachts, a brand of Michelessi Corporation Srl · updated 24 September 2026 · rules read on the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 19 September 2026
The questions you really ask us
These are the questions about the licence that reach us by phone and on WhatsApp, with the answer we give in person and the article of law beside it. One at a time: open one and the other closes.
No, within 6 nautical miles of the coast and on inland waters: a 40 hp outboard sits below the 30 kW (40.8 hp) set by art. 39 of the Italian Recreational Boating Code, provided its cylinder capacity stays within 1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard. Beyond 6 miles the licence is required with any engine. That is why the 40 hp is the choice of those without a licence, and with a 40 hp engine we recommend up to 6 metres.
The licence is tied to the engine, not to the boat: within 6 miles of the coast it is not required if the engine does not exceed 30 kW (40.8 hp) and the legal cylinder-capacity limits (1,000 cc for a four-stroke outboard). Beyond 6 miles it is always required. A 40 hp engine goes on the NAVY RIBs between 4 and 6 metres: the NAVY 4.80, the NAVY 5.50 and the NAVY 6.00.
From the age of 16, if the RIB is a natante, that is with a hull of up to 10 metres, and the engine stays below 30 kW and the legal cylinder-capacity limits, within 6 miles of the coast. For imbarcazioni da diporto, over 10 metres of hull, you must be 18. This is set by art. 39, paragraph 3, of the Italian Recreational Boating Code.
The category A boat licence, which qualifies you to command natanti, imbarcazioni da diporto and jet skis (art. 39, paragraph 6). From the age of 16 there is also the D1, limited to daytime navigation within 6 miles and to engines of up to 85 kW, that is 115.6 hp: until the age of 18 it only covers natanti and jet skis.
Yes, with the same criteria as at sea within 6 miles: art. 39, paragraph 1, letter b), expressly mentions «inland waters». Above 30 kW (40.8 hp), or above the cylinder capacity set for your type of engine, the licence is compulsory on a lake or a river too. Local navigation regulations may add rules of their own: read them before you go out.
It depends on the contract. Under a charter (noleggio) the craft remains at the disposal of the charter company and whoever helms it must hold a licence, always, with a maximum of 12 people on board (art. 27, paragraph 7). Under bareboat hire (locazione) the boat passes to you and the licence is required only in the cases of art. 39: below 30 kW and within 6 miles it is not, and the lessor hands you the essential helming instructions in writing (art. 27, paragraph 8).
No. The licence qualifies you, not the boat. A CE-marked natante navigates within the limits of its design category and in any case no further than 12 miles from the coast (art. 27, paragraph 4); a natante without CE marking stays within 6 miles, or 12 if type-approved for unlimited navigation. Beyond 6 miles at least one VHF is also required on board (art. 29, paragraph 2). To go beyond 12 miles the natante must be voluntarily registered as an imbarcazione.
There is no legal fee: the Boating Code and the decrees set the syllabus and the examination, the price is set by the sailing school. The cost varies with the school, the town, the type of qualification and the practice hours. Ask for two written quotes listing theory hours, hours on the boat, fees and the medical examination, and compare them line by line. If you do not want a licence, a NAVY with a 40 hp outboard within 6 miles does not require one.
PLATE 11
To read after this one
The licence is the first question; the second is almost always the engine, the third the price. The three guides below answer in the same way: with the real figures and the article of law beside them.
Guide 03
The right power for size, load and use: from the licence-free 40 hp to twin outboards.
Read the guide
Guide 01
Hull, engine, VAT, trailer, mooring: the complete sum, line by line.
Read the guide
The range
The models you can helm with a 40 hp outboard within 6 miles, and how they are fitted out.
See the models
PLATE 12 — In person
You have read the law; the rest is understood on board. Step onto a NAVY, try the 40 hp or the engine you have in mind, and decide with the boat under your feet. What size do you have in mind?
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