Recreational boating can be a thrilling experience, whether you’re navigating calm inland waters or setting sail on the open sea. A boating license or education course is often all you need to make these excursions possible (and in some states, no license is required at all). But as you step up to larger vessels or consider operating boats commercially, special legal requirements come into play.
For many boaters, a key question emerges: What size of boat requires a captain’s license? Heck — what is a captain’s license? Let’s dig into what you need to know about captain’s licenses, their requirements, and whether they apply to your boating adventures.
Understanding Boating Licenses: When Do You Need a Boat Captain License?
Depending on the state, recreational boaters in the U.S. commonly need some form of a boater’s license or boating education/safety card. Here in New Hampshire, anyone 16 years or older who’s operating a motorboat greater than 25 horsepower needs to have a National Association of State Boating law Administrators (NASBLA)-approved boating education certificate — or a New Hampshire- or U.S. Coast Guard-issued commercial boating license.
Such a commercial boating license, AKA a “captain’s license,” is required of boaters who plan to take out what are officially termed passengers-for-hire: on fishing charters, sightseeing cruises, dive boats, educational outings, and the like. You need a captain’s license not only if you’re accepting direct payments from passengers, but also in situations when you’re offering an excursion as an exchange for something else—including courting prospective clients in hopes of reaping an economic benefit in the future.
Earning a captain’s license, unsurprisingly, demands more rigorous instruction and more extensive requirements, including passing a physical and drug test and holding valid CPR/First-Aid certification.
Types of Captain’s Licenses
The Coast Guard issues two categories of captain’s licenses: the OUPV (aka “Six-Pack”) License and the Master License.
Both of these categories include subtypes of license based on the types of waters you intend to operate on: Inland (rivers, bays, and lakes, except for the Great Lakes), Great Lakes, and Near Coastal (as far out as 100 miles offshore).
- The OUPV/Six-Pack License: This is the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) License, which you may hear referred to as the “Six-Pack License” or the “Charterboat Captain’s License.” The six-pack tag stems from the fact that an OUPV License allows you to transport as many as six passengers-for-hire. An “uninspected” passenger vehicle is one not required to undergo inspection by the Coast Guard.
- The Master License: Master Licenses are required for operators of Coast Guard-inspected vessels, which must comply with the agency’s Commercial Vessel Inspection criteria and which are allowed to transport more than six passengers.
You can upgrade your OUPV License to a Master License.
Boating Size & Licensing Regulations
What size boat requires a captain’s license? Well, size is only one factor that may determine whether you need a Coast Guard-issued commercial boating license and, if so, which kind.
The OUPV or Six-Pack License is limited to vessels of 100 gross tons or less: typically 80 to 100 feet or so.
Master Licenses are issued partly based on vessel tonnage—with 25-ton, 50-ton, 100-ton, and 200-ton tiers—and on documented days of sea service.
On the subject of what size boat requires a license, it’s worth noting that, Coast Guard specifications aside, some insurance companies might demand you obtain a captain’s license if you want to get a larger vessel.
Penalties for Operating Without a Captain’s License
If you’re caught carrying passengers-for-hire or otherwise operating a commercial vessel without a captain’s license, you’re looking at stiff fines. The maximum civil penalties for illegal passenger-for-hire operations can be over $60,000. You may also be looking at major liability, opening yourself up to risk of lawsuits and even imprisonment.
In other words, don’t play around with the law. Get your captain’s license if the kind of boating or business you do requires it—plain and simple.
Benefits of Having a Captain’s License
Even if you aren’t currently required by law to hold one, you might consider earning a captain’s license. For one thing, it obviously opens up the avenue of commercial boating possibilities: starting a dive business, becoming a charter fishing guide, and otherwise exploring new on-the-water career opportunities.
More fundamentally, though, even recreational boaters without any intention of running, say, a charter will benefit from the more in-depth instruction involved in earning a captain’s license. You’ll boost your skills as a mariner and enhance your offshore safety, arming yourself with the tools and the savvy to respond to boating emergencies and unexpected contingencies.
Given the level of boating know-how it indicates, having a captain’s license can also sometimes shake out to very real savings in the insurance department, too—no small benefit!
North Water Marine: Your Gateway to Boating Fun & Adventure on Lake Winnipesaukee
At North Water Marine, we’re proud to be the full-service boat dealer New Hampshire residents and vacationers alike deserve. Besides our boat sales, rentals, maintenance, and winter-storage services here on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee, we’re proud to offer all sorts of resources on our blog, with useful information on everything from things to look for when buying a boat to the complicated issue of boat insurance in the Granite State.
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