If you live in Panama and drive your own boat in its waters, you need an AMP licence from Gente de Mar. For a private boat the grade is patrón de nave de placer: 3ra. clase under 8 m, 2da. clase from 8 to 20 m, 1ra. clase over 20 m. Large yachts need capitán de yate.
Who needs a licence to drive a private boat
The AMP's Dirección General de Gente de Mar licenses whoever drives a boat in Panamanian national waters, and its pleasure-craft grades exist precisely for private boats. SENAN and the AMP check the operator's licence along with the safety gear when they board you. Every licence holder is also subject to random alcohol and drug tests in national ports, according to the AMP's requirement sheets.
Three cases are different:
- Foreign yachts in transit. A visiting yacht under a foreign flag sails on its own papers and crew. The AMP's licences are for residents and people working here. A 2012 Noonsite report quoted the Bocas port captain saying visiting cruisers using a dinghy to reach shore did not need the local licence, while residents did. It is old and secondary, so ask the capitanía where you arrive.
- Bareboat renters. They work through a temporary permit letter, covered in bareboat charter in Panama.
- Jet skis. The rules for rentals are in jet-ski and watersports rental. For your own jet ski, ask the AMP which grade applies.
Which grade for which boat
The pleasure-craft grades go by length overall (eslora):
| Grade | Boat | Technical requirement on the AMP sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Patrón de nave de placer 3ra. clase | Under 8 m | National-waters safety course or the four STCW basics, plus the 3ra. clase course |
| Patrón de nave de placer 2da. clase | 8 m to 20 m | The four STCW basics, the 2da. clase course, and the boat's patente or a company letter |
| Patrón de nave de placer 1ra. clase | Over 20 m | The four STCW basics, the 1ra. clase course, and the patente or a company letter |
| Capitán de yate | Up to 200 TAB, up to 500 TAB, unlimited | STCW-standard medical, basic courses and a qualifying certificate or experience |
Most private boats in Panama fall in the first two rows. The operador de lanchas grades are for launches and passenger or cargo work, not private pleasure boating. The full list is in Panama captain licence types and limits.
What to bring
For a patrón de nave de placer licence the AMP requirement sheets (Resolución J.D. 053-2018) list:
- Original passport for foreigners, or cédula for Panamanians.
- A certificado de buena salud from a Panamanian doctor, stamped by doctor and clinic, valid three months from issue.
- One 4 x 4 cm colour photo on a white background, unless you apply in person at AMP headquarters, where they take it.
- US$8 in fiscal stamps, by franking machine or paid at the DGI.
- Your course certificates from an AMP-recognised training centre.
- For 2da. and 1ra. clase, your boat's patente de navegación.
The sheets for the pleasure-craft grades do not list a drug test or minimum sea time, unlike the operador de lanchas grades. Courses and centres are in captain courses and schools. Confirm the current licence fee with Gente de Mar.
Renewing
The AMP calls renewal revalidación. For the pleasure-craft grades the sheets ask for your previous licence of the same grade plus the safety training again: the national-waters course or the four STCW basics for 3ra. clase, and the four STCW basics for 2da. and 1ra. clase. Bring a fresh medical. The sheets do not state how long a licence is valid, so read the expiry date on yours and start the renewal well before it.
Licencia de navegación is not your licence
People in marinas say licencia de navegación for the driver's licence, and that causes mistakes. Under Ley 57 de 2008 the patente or licencia de navegación is the boat's document: it proves the vessel is registered. Your personal licence is the Gente de Mar licencia for a grade such as patrón de nave de placer. You need both: the boat's papers aboard and your licence in your pocket. Registration is covered under registration and the AMP.
If you are coming from Florida
In Florida a boater born on or after 1 January 1988 carries a Boating Safety Education ID card from an approved course, and many visitors drive on a temporary certificate. Panama has no equivalent education card. Its pleasure-craft licence is a full AMP licence, with a medical and a training-centre course. A Florida card or a USCG licence is useful proof of experience, but it is not a Panamanian licence; see using a foreign licence in Panama. The Florida rules are in Florida boating education.
Your practical starting checklist
- Measure your boat's length overall and pick the patrón de nave de placer grade that covers it.
- Book the basic safety courses and the grade course at an AMP-recognised training centre.
- Get a medical certificate from a Panamanian doctor no more than three months before you apply.
- Gather your passport or cédula, the boat's patente for 2da. or 1ra. clase, and US$8 in fiscal stamps.
- Apply at the Gente de Mar office in Diablo Heights or at an AMP licensing tour stop.
- Carry the licence aboard with the boat's papers and note its expiry date.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to drive my own boat in Panama?
Yes, if you operate it in Panamanian waters as a resident. The AMP grade for a private boat is patrón de nave de placer, chosen by length.
Can I drive my boat in Panama on my Florida boating card?
Not as a resident. The Florida card is a state education credential; Panama licenses operators through the AMP.
Is a drug test required for the pleasure-craft licence?
The AMP sheets list a drug test for operador de lanchas and patrón de cabotaje, not for patrón de nave de placer. Holders of any licence can still be tested at random.
¿Qué licencia necesito para manejar mi propia lancha en Panamá?
La de patrón de nave de placer de la Gente de Mar de la AMP: 3ra. clase para menos de 8 m de eslora, 2da. clase de 8 a 20 m y 1ra. clase para más de 20 m.
En español: licencia para manejar su propio bote
Para manejar un bote de recreo propio en aguas nacionales se necesita la licencia de patrón de nave de placer que expide la Dirección General de Gente de Mar de la AMP. La clase depende de la eslora: 3ra. clase, menos de 8 m; 2da. clase, de 8 a 20 m; 1ra. clase, más de 20 m. Se pide pasaporte o cédula, certificado de buena salud de un médico idóneo panameño con vigencia de tres meses, B/.8.00 en timbres, los cursos de un centro de formación reconocido por la AMP y, para 2da. y 1ra. clase, la patente de la nave. No confunda esta licencia con la patente o licencia de navegación, que es el documento del bote.
The next question to answer
The full AMP licence ladder. Read Become a boat captain in Panama.
Every AMP grade with its limit. Read Licence types and limits.
What SENAN and the AMP check aboard. Read Boat safety equipment in Panama.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Florida Boating Education Requirements.
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.
- AMP: Dirección General de Gente de Mar (licence lists and requirement sheets) ↗
- AMP: requisitos patrón de nave de placer de 2da. clase (TIT-AN7, Res. J.D. 053-2018) ↗
- AMP: requisitos patrón de nave de placer de 3ra. clase (TIT-AN6) ↗
- AMP: gira de emisión de licencias de marino de aguas nacionales ↗
- Noonsite (secondary, 2012): Panama dinghy licence for local residents ↗