Boat name, port of registry and markings in Panama

A boat registered in Panama must carry a name no other Panamanian vessel uses, printed on the hull, and must fly the Panamanian flag under the conditions set by the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP). Panama City is the legal port of registry for every vessel in the Merchant Marine. A name change needs AMP approval first.

The name: unique, approved, on the hull

Ley 57 of 2008, the General Merchant Marine Law, sets the basic rules in Articles 9 to 12:

• Unique. A vessel's name cannot be the same as that of another vessel already in the Panamanian Merchant Marine (Art. 9).
• On the hull. The name must be printed on the hull, and the vessel must also carry the national flag under the conditions the Dirección General de Marina Mercante (DGMM) sets (Art. 9).
• Reservable. You can ask the DGMM to reserve a name for later use, for example while a purchase or build is pending (Art. 12).

In practice, AMP dock inspections check exactly this. A 2024 Panamá América report on inspections with SENAN in Bocas del Toro listed a visible boat name and the Panamanian flag as the marking requirements checked. Passenger boats are also asked for photos showing the name for their operating licence; see AMP commercial licensing.

Port of registry: Panama City

Article 1 of Ley 57 says Panama City is recognised as the port of registry of every vessel in the Panamanian Merchant Marine. That holds whether the boat is kept in Bocas del Toro, Pedregal or Portobelo. Your marina or home anchorage is not your port of registry.

The law does not spell out how the port name is painted on small craft. Large ships traditionally show the name and "PANAMA" on the stern. Ask the DGMM what it expects for your boat's class, especially if a foreign builder or a previous flag left another home port on the transom. Remove a foreign home port when you change flag, so the boat does not show two nationalities at once.

Changing a boat's name

A name change must be approved by the DGMM before you repaint (Art. 10). Once it is approved:

1. The DGMM issues a new registration certificate showing the new name and notifies the Registro Público (Art. 11).
2. You must update the patente de navegación, radio licence, technical certificates and every other vessel document to the new name (Art. 10).
3. Because the patente no longer matches, you apply for a new one under Article 30.

If you are buying, combine the name change with the transfer so you pay for one new set of documents. See transferring ownership.

Other marks: load line, capacity and identification

• Load line and draft marks. The 2021 cabotage law requires interior-service vessels over 24 m, where the Load Lines Convention applies, to show permanent load line and draft marks. Boats under 24 m instead need a maximum-load calculation made by competent personnel and approved by the DGMM (Art. 28).
• Licence display. Holders of an AMP operating licence for auxiliary maritime services must display it at their premises and on the equipment used (Resolution J.D. 011-2019).
• Builder's hull number. Panama's registry works from the builder's or construction certificate, so keep the original hull identification number intact. It is how a surveyor or buyer matches the boat to its papers; see ownership and lien checks.
• Registration number on the hull. We found no AMP rule requiring small craft to display their patente number on the hull the way Florida requires registration numbers. Confirm with the DGMM before you rely on that.

Practical marking tips

The law sets few details, so these are habits that keep inspections short, not legal requirements:

• Use letters large enough to read from another boat. A name on the transom alone is easy to miss from abeam, so many owners repeat it on both sides of the bow.
• Use the exact spelling on the patente, accents included. A mismatch between hull and papers invites questions.
• Keep the flag in good condition. Tropical sun fades flags within months, and a shredded flag looks like neglect.
• Carry the patente and radio licence aboard in a dry bag, with a copy ashore. If they go missing, see replacing lost boat documents.

Foreign-flagged boats and the Florida comparison

A US- or other foreign-flagged boat cruising in Panama keeps the markings its flag state requires: name and hailing port for a USCG-documented vessel, or state numbers for a state-registered one. Changing them is not a Panamanian requirement. The US rules are in HIN, official number and markings. If you later register the boat in Panama, the name must pass the uniqueness check and the foreign home port should come off. See Panama-flag yacht registration.

Your practical starting checklist

1. Check with the DGMM that your chosen name is free on the Panamanian register, and reserve it if needed.
2. Paint the name clearly on the hull and fly the Panamanian flag.
3. Ask the DGMM how it expects the port of registry shown for your boat's class.
4. For a name change, get DGMM approval first, then repaint.
5. Update the patente, radio licence and certificates to the new name.

Frequently asked questions

The next question to answer

The registration pillar for Panama. Read Registering a boat with the AMP.

Combine a rename with the transfer. Read Transferring ownership at the registry.

What inspectors check alongside the name and flag. Read Boat safety equipment in Panama.

Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare HIN, Official Numbers and Vessel Markings.

Official resources

Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.

• Ley 57 de 2008, General de Marina Mercante (Justia copy) ↗
• Ley de cabotaje y comercio interior, Gaceta Oficial 29440-C, 23 Dec 2021 (FAOLEX copy) ↗
• AMP Resolución J.D. 011-2019, licencias de operación (FAOLEX copy) ↗
• Panamá América: AMP inspecciona documentación de lanchas y operadores (Aug 2024, secondary) ↗