In Panama the number of people a charter boat may carry is set by the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá and written on the boat's safety certificate and Marina Mercante documents. It is a mandatory condition. The builder's plate, the seat count and the US six-pack rule do not change it, and AMP and SENAN check it at the dock.
Who sets the limit
The AMP says the passenger limit is a mandatory technical condition set out in each vessel's Certificado de Seguridad and in the documents issued by the Dirección General de Marina Mercante. Exceeding it is an infraction of maritime rules. Only boats with a valid passenger-transport operating licence may carry passengers at all; boats without one may not sail or take guests on board.
The figure comes out of the inspection that produces the certificate of fitness, so it reflects the AMP's view of the boat's stability, freeboard, seating and safety equipment, not the manufacturer's brochure. If you change the boat, by adding a tower, a bigger engine or extra seating, ask the AMP whether the capacity needs to be reassessed. The inspection itself is covered in charter boat safety inspections.
Counting crew, guests and children
Panama's published rules do not spell out a counting method the way US regulations do, so start from what the certificate says. Some certificates state passengers and crew separately; others give one total. Read yours and, if it is not clear, ask the AMP in writing.
Until you have an answer, count conservatively:
- Crew are people on board who need a life jacket and a place to stand. If the certificate gives a single number of persons, crew come out of it.
- Children count as people. No Panamanian rule we found exempts infants or children from the count, and the ATP requires a life jacket for every passenger, so carry the right sizes.
- Guides, photographers and caterers are not guests, but they are aboard. Count them.
Your SENAN manifest should match the people on board exactly; see passenger manifests and records.
Why going over the limit is never worth it
- Safety. The AMP calls overloading a direct risk to human life at sea. Small boats in the Bay of Panama meet ship wakes, chop and afternoon squalls.
- Enforcement. At the start of Carnaval 2026 the AMP reported operators at several ports preparing to carry more passengers than their certificates allowed, and said it would apply the administrative measures and sanctions set by law, with security agencies. Inspectors check the authorised capacity together with the licence and permits.
- Insurance. Marine policies are written for the boat as certified. Carrying more people than the certificate allows is a common ground for an insurer to refuse a claim; read your policy and see insurance and liability.
- Registration. Your ATP and AMP registrations rest on the certificate; an overloading incident puts both at risk.
SENAN keeps a station on the Amador causeway and boards boats in the bay. A count that does not match the manifest is the easiest problem for an officer to see.
When the group is bigger than the boat
The usual pressure comes from a wedding party or a corporate group that is two or three people over the limit. The answers are simple and none of them is to squeeze them in:
- Split the group across two boats, each with its own licensed captain, its own manifest and its own certificate. Run them in company and agree a meeting point.
- Move up a size to a boat certified for the full number, through another licensed operator if you need to.
- Do not transfer guests at sea to get round the count at the dock. The manifest is filed for each boat before departure.
Put the capacity in the quote and the contract, so the conversation happens at booking rather than on the pontoon.
Numbers that change the rules in Panama
| Threshold | What changes |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 12 passengers, yachts 6 to 24 m | Under the yacht-leasing regime, Decreto 18 of 1984 on recreational vessels applies |
| 12 or more passengers | For Panamanian-flag boats with an international-service patente working only in Panama, a stricter inspection regime and per-person insurance |
| 15 or more persons | The AMP asks for a garbage management plan with the operating licence |
| 30 or more passengers | The AMP's passenger-transport licence fee rises from B/.200 to B/.300 a year per boat |
How this differs from the US six-pack rule
Operators from Florida often bring the US numbers with them. In the US, an uninspected passenger vessel under 100 gross tons may carry up to six passengers for hire, operated by a captain holding at least an OUPV licence, the so-called six-pack. More than six requires a Coast Guard-inspected small passenger vessel with a certificate of inspection. US rules also define who is not a passenger: the owner or charterer, the master and paid crew.
None of that applies in Panama. Fernando holds a USCG OUPV licence for his Miami work; in Panama the AMP sets the capacity of each boat and licenses each captain, and a US licence is not a Panamanian one. The full US method is in charter passenger counting and limits.
Your practical starting checklist
- Read the capacity on the boat's AMP safety certificate.
- Ask the AMP in writing whether the figure includes crew.
- Count every person aboard, including children, crew and contractors.
- Cap bookings so the form cannot exceed the certificate.
- Match the SENAN manifest to the people who actually board.
- Ask the AMP to reassess capacity after any major modification.
Frequently asked questions
How many passengers can a charter boat carry in Panama?
The number on its AMP safety certificate. There is no general six-passenger rule; each boat's limit comes from its inspection.
Do children count as passengers in Panama?
Assume yes. No published Panamanian rule exempts children, and every passenger needs a life jacket.
Does the crew count toward the limit?
It depends on how the certificate is written. If it gives a single number of persons, crew are included; ask the AMP if it is unclear.
Does a USCG six-pack licence let me carry six guests in Panama?
No. Panama's AMP sets capacity per boat and licenses captains itself; US rules do not apply.
¿Cuál es la capacidad de pasajeros de una lancha en Panamá?
La que indica el Certificado de Seguridad emitido por la AMP. Es una condición técnica obligatoria, y la AMP y el SENAN la verifican en muelles y en el mar.
The next question to answer
The inspection that sets the number. Read Charter boat safety inspections.
The certificate and patente behind the limit. Read AMP commercial vessel licensing.
What AMP and SENAN enforce. Read Illegal charters in Panama.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Passenger Counting and Limits by Operation.
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.
- La Estrella de Panamá: AMP advierte riesgo por lanchas con más pasajeros de lo permitido (secondary, press, Feb 2026) ↗
- La Prensa: Carnavales 2026, AMP detecta exceso de pasajeros (secondary, press) ↗
- AMP: Requisitos licencia de operación, transporte de pasajeros ↗
- AMP: Preguntas frecuentes, licencia de operación (agosto 2026) ↗
- AMP: Resolución J.D. 089-2020, arrendamiento de yates ↗
- USCG Auxiliary: Passengers for hire (pamphlet) ↗