Coastal boat licence 2026: regulatory updates, training and exam walkthrough

What changes in 2026 for the coastal licence

The coastal pleasure boating licence has not been overhauled, but 2026 confirms an ongoing shift: paperless procedures, an updated list of mandatory safety equipment, and stricter checks on VHF radios for coastal boating. The licence application now goes entirely through the ANTS plaisance portal, in line with the wider migration of pleasure boating procedures to that single tool. This removes the need to visit a maritime affairs office or post paper files.

On content, the official syllabus set by the DGAMPA (the French maritime affairs authority) still centres on COLREGS, buoyage, marine weather, safety and basic manoeuvres. The 2026 changes are mostly about examiners insisting on the pre-departure safety checklist, recognition of the latest PFD (personal flotation device) pictograms, and proper use of VHF distress procedures.

Coastal training walkthrough in 2026

Official coastal training is still split into two parts: a theory block of around 5 hours of classroom teaching (the DGAMPA minimum, although most nautical schools deliver 8 to 10 hours with mock tests) and a practical block of at least 3.5 hours on the water with an approved instructor. This baseline is unchanged in 2026.

How the hours are organised

Theory takes place in a classroom, with the official material and mock tests on tablet or computer. The practical block is typically built in three steps: a dockside safety briefing (equipment check, chart reading, trip planning), an on-water session with repeated manoeuvres (port departure, course keeping, turning, docking, anchoring, man overboard), and a debrief. Some schools add a pool session to practise putting a PFD on in the water, but it is not mandatory for the coastal licence.

The 2026 theory exam, step by step

The coastal multiple-choice test keeps the same format: 30 questions, 30 minutes maximum, with at least 25 correct answers required to pass (the official threshold has been 25/30 for several years, despite a widespread belief that it is still 20/30). Questions are drawn from a national bank managed by the DGAMPA and cover five main themes: COLREGS, maritime buoyage, signs and navigation lights, basic meteorology, and safety (equipment, procedures, VHF).

What the exam day looks like

The test takes place in an approved centre. You show an ID, sit at a digital station, see each question often with a photo or diagram (boat lights, buoyage marks), and submit your answers. The result is usually given immediately. If you fail, you can sit the test again as soon as a slot is available, by paying the tax stamp again.

The 2026 practical exam: what the examiner is looking for

The practical test lasts between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the school, on a boat owned by the training centre. It almost always starts dockside with a safety check of the boat: presence and validity of distress flares, working VHF radio, easy access to PFDs, signalling mirror and boat hook on board, and a functional kill cord. This safety part weighs heavily in the final decision.

On the water, the examiner asks for several manoeuvres: leaving port, holding a heading, applying right-of-way rules against a simulated boat, man overboard (throwing a buoy and recovering the casualty), proper anchoring on a suitable bottom, then returning to port and docking. The focus is on safety, reading the environment and making sound decisions, not on speed of execution.

2026 mandatory equipment you must know by heart

The safety kit depends on how far you are from a shelter. For the coastal zone up to 2 miles, the basic kit includes: one PFD per person on board, a towing line, a bailing device, an individual light marker device for night navigation, and the means to know your area (chart or screen).

Beyond 2 miles and up to 6 miles from a shelter, the typical coastal licence zone, the list grows: three handheld distress flares, a magnetic compass, a fixed or handheld VHF radio with DSC (digital selective calling), a signalling mirror, a boat hook and an anchor system. The DSC-enabled VHF is the most strictly checked item: without it, sailing beyond 2 miles is an offence, and examiners systematically test your knowledge of the distress call procedure.

2026 cost and tax stamp: what you actually pay

The 2026 coastal licence price is on average between 350 and 650 euros depending on the nautical school and region, intensive weekend formats included. This covers theory classes, practical hours, use of the boat and exam registration. Schools in major coastal cities and busy tourist areas are usually at the high end of the range, association-based schools at the low end.

On top of the training fee, you must pay a mandatory tax stamp for the issuance of the licence itself, paid online during the ANTS process. The exact amount may change each year through the French budget law, so check the current rate on service-public.fr at the time you apply. No medical exam is required for the coastal licence, which keeps side costs down.

2026 registration pitfalls and ANTS plaisance walkthrough

Since the full move to ANTS plaisance, applying for the coastal licence is done online: create an ANTS account, upload supporting documents (ID, photo, proof of address, French census certificate if relevant), pay the digital tax stamp, then upload the form signed by your nautical school after training. The digital title can be seen in your ANTS area and the physical licence is sent by post.

The main pitfalls are about document quality: non-compliant photo (background, framing), proof of address that is too old, or mistyped accents in the identity fields. Before paying anything, make sure the school is approved by the DGAMPA, and keep your ANTS file number safe. Paperless processing has shortened delays: between passing the exam and receiving the licence, count a few weeks, provided the file is right the first time.

Going further

This article focuses on the 2026 changes and the concrete walkthrough. For an overview of the coastal boat licence (scope, comparison with the offshore licence, general workings), see our full guide at /blog/permis-bateau-cotier-guide-complet. To compare every nautical option and prepare your application, the /permis-bateau hub gathers the right resources and lets you request a quote from a partner nautical school.