Am I allowed to drive a speedboat without a licence in Denmark?
No — a speedboat needs a speedboat licence, and there is an age limit. There is no general boat licence, but a speedboat licence is required to operate a planing speedboat above a certain engine power. You must be 16 to operate a speedboat — you can sit the exam at 15, but you may only sail lawfully from the day you turn 16. A craft of 15–24 m needs a competence certificate, and you must be of age. A fixed alcohol limit of 0.5 applies to craft over 15 m, planing speedboats and jet skis; for small boats there is no fixed limit, but you must be able to sail safely. The trap: the old plastic exam card no longer grants speedboat rights.
📋 The rules
- A speedboat needs a speedboat licence
- You must be 16 to operate a speedboat (exam at 15)
- A craft of 15–24 m needs a competence certificate
- Alcohol limit 0.5 for speedboats, over 15 m and jet skis
- Small boats: no fixed limit, but safe sailing
🔓 Exceptions
- Sailboats and slow motorboats under 15 m need no training
- You may not hand the wheel to someone lacking the licence
- The old plastic exam card no longer grants speedboat rights
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Sailing without the required licence can, under the Sailing Union tariff, bring 5,000 kr the first time and 10,000 kr the second — and it is not only the person at the wheel who is on the hook. You may not hand the wheel to someone who lacks the licence, so the owner who lets a guest try the speedboat is part of the case. Drunk sailing is another league: over the limit it can bring an income-based fine, loss of the licence and seizure of the boat, so the craft itself is at stake. And an old plastic exam card in the drawer is not a valid speedboat licence.
📎 Official sources
- Maritime Authority · Speedboat licence →
- Maritime Authority · Drunk sailing →
- Certificates regulation · Retsinformation →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I drive a speedboat without a licence?
No. A planing speedboat above a certain engine power needs a speedboat licence, and you must be 16 to operate it. Sailboats and slow motorboats under 15 m, by contrast, need no training at all.
How old must I be?
16 to operate a speedboat. You can sit the exam as early as 15, but you may only sail lawfully from the day you turn 16 — holding the certificate is not enough on its own to put you at the wheel.
Is there an alcohol limit on the water?
Yes, 0.5 for craft over 15 m, planing speedboats and jet skis. For small sailboats and slow motorboats there is no fixed limit, but you must not be so affected that you cannot sail safely. Safe sailing is always the test.
What does a larger boat need?
A craft of 15–24 m needs a competence certificate, and the operator must be of age. The old plastic exam card, on the other hand, no longer grants the right to operate a planing speedboat. The card grants no speedboat right today.
What is the penalty for sailing without a licence?
5,000 kr the first time and 10,000 kr the second under the Sailing Union tariff. Letting someone without the licence take the wheel is also on you, and drunk sailing can cost you the licence and the boat.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I drive a speedboat without licence denmark”
- “speedboat licence age 16”
- “alcohol limit water 0.5”
- “competence certificate 15 24 m”
- “speedboat engine power”
- “drunk sailing fine”