A legal charter in Panama holds paper from more than one agency. The Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá (ATP) registers the business under transporte turístico marítimo (Decreto Ejecutivo 82 of 2008) and its minimum requirements name an AMP registration, an aviso de operación, a civil liability policy, a life jacket per passenger, a weather cover, compass, radio and chart, sound boats and engines, and qualified crew. The Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) licenses the vessel for commercial use and inspects it, and licenses the captain and crew. If guests fish, the ARAP's rules apply. If you enter Coiba or another park, MiAmbiente's permits and fees apply. If you run San Blas, the Guna congress has its own agreements.
People ask three things: what is the full list of permits, how many passengers can my boat carry, and where can I legally pick guests up in Panama City. The list is above and is longer than most new operators expect. Passenger limits come from the AMP's inspection of the boat, not from the manufacturer plate. Pickup is allowed at the marinas that permit commercial loading (Flamenco, La Playita under their rules) and not from random beaches or hotel frontage without arrangement; SENAN and AMP do check at the Amador Causeway.
This collection will cover every licence and permit a Panama charter needs, ATP tourism operator registration, AMP commercial vessel licensing and inspection, what safety inspectors look for, liability insurance and waivers, passenger limits, where charters can legally pick up guests in Panama City, and illegal charters and what SENAN and the AMP actually enforce. The Panama City startup guide and marine offices page are live.
The Florida startup sub-hub is the twin: there the licensing centre is the US Coast Guard, here it is split between the ATP and the AMP.