Jet ski rules from Spain to the Caribbean: licence, age, distances and bans compared
Jet ski rules in Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Croatia, the Bahamas and Antigua side by side: licence, minimum age, coastal limits and local bans.
Every destination asks something different of a jet ski rider. Spain sets 18, or 16 with parental consent; France requires a licence above 4.5 kW; Monaco a licence from 5 hp and a minimum age of 16; Italy always a licence and a one-mile limit; Croatia planing only beyond 300 metres; the Bahamas and Antigua no riding after dark.
This guide puts the rules from our regional guides side by side. Every point links to the official source; the details are in the guides for the Balearics, the Côte d'Azur and Monaco, Italy, Croatia and the Caribbean.
Disclosure: Toys & Crew is published by Lakeberg GmbH, which trades as E-SURFER and sells ROXEN electric jet skis. This article covers the rules only and names no jet ski brands.
Who needs a licence, and from what age?
| Destination | Licence | Minimum age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain (Balearics) | Spanish boating licence (PNB, PER, Patrón or Capitán de Yate) or the special jet ski licence | 18, or 16 with written parental consent | Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 4 and 5 |
| France | French boating licence above 6 administrative hp (4.5 kW) | not stated in our sources | French Ministry of the Sea |
| Monaco | category A licence or a foreign licence from 5 hp | 16 | Code de la mer, Art. O. 752-3 |
| Italy | always required on a jet ski | not stated in our sources | Codice della nautica, Art. 39(1)(a) |
| Croatia | boat leader certificate (voditelj brodice) for anyone in charge of a boat; which category covers a jet ski is not stated | category A from 15, B from 16 | Pravilnik NN 27/2005, Art. 49–52 |
| Bahamas | no licence rule found | 16 for motor boats over 10 hp in the areas covered, exceptions from 14 | Water Skiing and Motor Boat Control Act, s. 7 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | toys of visiting yachts need no licence of their own, but must follow the small craft rules | 16 for any power craft | ADOMS Marine Notice 2017-01, Small Craft Regulations 2017, reg. 19 |
In Croatia, a minimum age of 18 for craft over 15 kW is quoted on some websites, but we did not find it in the Official Gazette. Whether Croatia recognises foreign licences, our sources do not say.
How close to the coast, and how fast?
| Destination | Coastal rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 3 knots within 200 metres of beaches and 50 metres of the rest of the coast; no boats in marked swimming zones; 3 knots in channels and marinas | Real Decreto 876/2014, Art. 73, Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 11 |
| France | 5 knots within 300 metres; cross the strip in an approved channel or at right angles to the shore | Prémar arrêté 109/2024, Art. 2.1 and 3 |
| Monaco | within one nautical mile of the shore without a special permit; 3 knots in ports and channels, 5 knots within 300 metres | Code de la mer, Art. O. 752-4 and 752-5 |
| Italy | within one nautical mile of the coast; 8 knots within 500 metres, 3 knots in harbours and anchorages | Codice della nautica, Art. 27(5), D.M. 146/2008, Art. 91-bis |
| Croatia | planing only more than 300 metres from the coast; 8 knots within 300 metres | NN 52/2025, Art. 50 |
| Bahamas | no motor boats within 200 feet of the shore in the areas covered, except at up to 3 knots on a direct line | Water Skiing and Motor Boat Control Act, s. 3 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 5 knots within 75 metres of the shore and 50 metres beyond a swimming area | Small Craft Regulations 2017, reg. 7 and 24 |
When may you ride?
- Daylight only: Spain (Real Decreto 259/2002, Art. 11), Monaco (Art. O. 752-4), the Bahamas, where riding in the dark costs $1,000 to $5,000 (s. 6A), and Antigua, where no personal watercraft may be used between sunset and sunrise (reg. 17).
- Italy: the special D1 licence is limited to daytime navigation (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 27-bis).
What must riders wear and carry?
- Life jacket: always in Italy, for riders and passengers (D.M. 146/2008, Art. 54(3)), in Monaco (Art. O. 752-4), in Croatia together with a helmet (NN 13/2020, Annex 10, 3.1.80), in the Bahamas (s. 6A) and in Antigua (SCC Code, no. 17).
- Neoprene: in France, at least 2 mm, as shorts, shorty or full wetsuit (French Ministry of the Sea).
- Kill switch: Croatia requires a safety wristband (Annex 10, 3.1.80), Antigua a lanyard fastened to the life jacket or wrist (reg. 18), Monaco a kill switch, propeller guard and no more than 80 dB at 7.5 metres (Art. O. 752-6).
- Insurance: required in Monaco (Art. O. 752-10) and in Croatia for every boat over 15 kW (NN 13/2020, Art. 8).
Where are jet skis banned?
| Place | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cannes | banned in the entire buoyed 300-metre strip, including around the Lérins islands | Prémar arrêté 251/2026, Art. 3 |
| Porquerolles | banned within 600 metres, except in transit to three access points | Prémar arrêté 116/2023, Art. 3.1 |
| Portofino, Cinque Terre, Secche della Meloria, Tavolara, Punta Campanella | banned in the marine protected areas | our Italy guide |
| Club de Mar, Palma | no riding inside the port area | port regulations, Art. 46 |
| Croatia, managed beaches | no vessel inside the bathing area | NN 72/2021, Art. 50(2) |
| St Barths, nature reserve | jet skis banned | Agence Territoriale de l'Environnement |
| Saint-Martin, Marigot mooring field | no motorised water sports | ZMEL regulation, Art. 18 |
| Sint Maarten, Man of War Shoal Marine Park and Mullet Pond | no motorised water sports | Nature Foundation |
| Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park | at least 300 yards from moored or anchored vessels, idle speed in mooring fields | Bahamas National Trust |
What is still open?
- Local orders in Italy: the ordinances of the Capitanerie di Porto, which set jet ski corridors and bathing zones, could not be read.
- Croatia: which licence category covers a jet ski, and whether foreign licences are recognised.
- France and Italy: no minimum age for jet ski riders was found in our sources.
- BVI and Sint Maarten: no official jet ski rules found outside the protected areas.
Sources
All rules come from the official texts used in our regional guides, checked on 4 October 2026 (Balearics, Côte d'Azur, Monaco, Italy) and 7 October 2026 (Croatia, Caribbean), and are linked at each point above.
Sources and image rights
- Images
- Toys & Crew
- Checked
- 7 October 2026 by Andreas Lakeberg
Disclaimer. We research every article carefully and to the best of our knowledge. Salaries, prices, rules and port regulations change, and we cannot guarantee that all information is complete, current or correct. Please check anything important with the original source or the responsible authority before you rely on it. To the extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for errors or omissions.
Toys & Crew is published by Lakeberg GmbH, Berlin, the company behind E-SURFER, which began in 2017 as the first blog and YouTube channel about electric surfboards and today also sells eFoils and jetboards. We sell some of the brands we write about. That never decides what we cover or how we rate it.