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Hiring a boat on Lake Garda or Lake Maggiore: which licence applies?
Short answer
On Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and other Italian lakes,
hire companies often let small Italian registered motor boats of up to about 40 hp without a
licence.
For anything more powerful they want a valid licence,
so ask which ones they accept before you book.
Hiring a boat for the day on Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore or Lake Como is part of many holidays in northern Italy. The rules come from Italian law and from the regions and provinces around each lake. In practice this means that small Italian registered motor boats with up to about 40 hp can normally be driven without a licence in Italy, and many hire companies offer them on that basis. Larger and faster boats are only hired out to people who hold a valid licence.
Which licence counts for a more powerful boat is for the hire company to decide under Italian law; national licences and the ICC are often accepted, and some will ask about RYA certificates. Get confirmation in writing before you book. Be wary of offers of an unusually powerful boat without a licence: if an engine is run above its approved output, it is often the person at the helm who ends up carrying the risk. Some of the smaller lakes have tighter limits still, and on a few only small engines or electric boats are allowed.
On the water there are minimum distances from the shore and from swimming areas, slow speed close to the shore, and on some lakes speed limits and zones where motor boats may not go; the hire company will explain the rules for its lake when you collect the boat. On Lake Garda the wind is famously regular, from the north in the morning and the south in the afternoon, and it can quickly become too much for a small open boat. The hired boat is usually insured by the company, but you are personally liable for damage to others, so check your own skipper liability insurance before you travel.
Worth remembering
Up to about 40 hp
Italian registered, usually hired without a licence
Above that
only with a licence the hire company accepts
A powerful boat without a licence is not a bargain, it is a risk for whoever is at the helm.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Can I hire a boat on Lake Garda without a licence?
Yes, if it is a small Italian registered motor boat of up to about 40 hp. For anything more powerful the hire company will want a valid licence. Ask which ones it accepts before you book.
Are the rules the same on every Italian lake?
No. The basic law is Italian, but the regions and provinces regulate a good deal themselves. Some smaller lakes only allow small engines or electric boats. Ask which licence applies to your boat.
Who is liable if I damage something with a hired boat?
You are. The hire company's insurance usually covers the boat and part of the liability, but not every claim against you personally.
Related
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