Do You Need a Captain’s License for Boat Deliveries?

Three weeks after I got my Master captain’s license, I met a couple in Annapolis who’d just bought a 58-foot boat. They needed it moved from Miami to Annapolis, then down to the Caribbean.

I’d never planned to use my license professionally. But within a week of that conversation, I was on their boat heading south. That first year alone, I earned over $100,000 doing boat deliveries.

Here’s the point for you: Did I have my captain’s license while doing all those boat deliveries? Yes, and I’m glad I did. But was it required?

That’s a slightly more complicated answer. 

So if you’ve come here wondering, do you need a captain’s license for boat deliveries, let’s get you the information you need to stay legal, insured, and in business.

What the Coast Guard Actually Requires

This question — do you need a captain’s license for boat deliveries — has a two-part answer. We’ll start with the legal answer here. 

Legally, the Coast Guard doesn’t require you to have a captain’s license for boat deliveries as long as the owner isn’t along for the ride. Though you’re working for hire, you aren’t taking out passengers, which is the Coast Guard’s main concern when it comes to licensing. 

If you aren’t bringing passengers aboard — just moving someone’s boat from Point A to Point B — you’re not violating federal maritime law by operating without credentials.

So why was I so glad I had my license for that first delivery job?

One word: insurance.

Why You Need a Captain’s License for Boat Deliveries

To cover me for the boat delivery, that couple’s insurance company required that the person moving their boat have a captain’s license — and not an OUPV/Six-Pack license either. They required a Master’s level license. 

You can’t carry an insurance policy on someone else’s boat, but you do need to be covered. For boat deliveries, then, the standard procedure is to add you to the owner’s insurance policy through a rider. 

Insurance coverage for boat delivery captains provides:

• Liability and damage coverage if an accident occurs
• Reduced risk of being sued for damage (since the customer would effectively be suing themselves)
  

The rider itself is relatively inexpensive — usually between $25 and $100. But I’m unaware of any insurance companies willing to issue that rider without a captain’s license. 

Regardless of your boating experience and expertise, insurance companies want to see proof in the form of a captain’s license. No license? No rider. No rider? No insurance coverage. 

Get It in Writing: Protecting Yourself

I learned something important early in my delivery career: Always get written confirmation that you’ve been added to the owner’s insurance policy.

When I ask owners if they’ve added me to their insurance, they nearly all say, “Oh yeah, of course.” But unless they give me a document or I get an email directly from their insurance carrier confirming the rider is active, I don’t take that boat off the dock.

With something this important, verbal assurances aren’t enough. You need proof in hand before you turn the key.

This might seem overly cautious, but trust me: If something goes wrong out there, you don’t want to discover you weren’t actually covered. Maybe the owner thinks they added you, maybe they just dropped the ball — it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the insurance company has no record of you.

Don’t start a delivery without that confirmation.

What Insurance Companies Want to See

If you’re serious about becoming a delivery captain, you’ll smooth the way forward by having a boating resume ready before you ever have to talk to an insurance company.

What do I mean by resume? 

Insurance companies don’t care about your work resume. They care about your boating experience and qualifications.

When an insurance company asks for your resume along with a copy of your license, you don’t want to ask for time to get it together. That’s not going to inspire confidence, and the outcome may not be the one you want.

But if you respond immediately — No problem at all. I’ve got it right here. Can I send over a PDF file? — they’ll feel a whole lot better about the situation. 

Your boating resume should include:

• A copy of your captain’s license credential
• Years of boating experience
• Types and sizes of vessels you’ve operated
• Specific delivery experience (if any)
• Notable passages or challenging conditions you’ve navigated
• Any additional maritime training or certifications

Having this ready to send shows you’re professional, prepared, and serious about the work.

Why I Recommend Getting the Highest-Level License You Qualify For

When I first decided to get my license, I was planning on a Six-Pack. But a captain I met convinced me to go for my Master’s instead, even though I had no plans to use it professionally.

It was the best advice I could have gotten.

That Master captain’s license opened doors I never expected — like my very first delivery job. Later, when boat owners were deciding who to trust with their expensive vessels or special outings, having “USCG Licensed Master” on my resume set me apart from the competition.

So now I always tell students: Get the highest-level license you can qualify for. You never know when that extra credential will be the difference between landing a job and watching it go to someone else.

Do You Need a Captain’s License for Boat Deliveries? Final Thoughts

Do you need a captain’s license for boat deliveries? Yes, but more for liability reasons than legal ones. 

Getting your captain’s license is a straightforward process, especially with a supportive team and Coast Guard-approved school like Mariners Learning System behind you. So if boat delivery appeals to you, don’t let the technicalities discourage you. 

A captain’s license is your ticket to legitimate, insured, and often lucrative delivery work. Whether your first opportunity comes three weeks or three months after earning your license, the key is being ready when it does.