Boat rental, boating licence and deposit: rules, deposit and departure

Arranging the boating licence and the deposit properly in boat rental prevents you from sending unqualified skippers onto the water or being left with unpaid propeller damage. Under the Dutch Inland Waterways Act (Binnenvaartwet), a boating licence is only required by law if the boat is longer than 15 metres or can go faster than 20 kilometres per hour. For licence-free sloops and motorboats below these limits, you secure safety with a mandatory trial run and a clear excess arrangement. With a fixed deposit you cover the excess of your boat insurance directly in the event of damage, grounding or missing inventory.

In short: In boat rental in the Netherlands, a boating licence is only required by law if the vessel is longer than 15 metres or can go faster than 20 km/h. For licence-free sloops and console boats you secure safety through a mandatory skipper agreement, a boating briefing and a deposit. Link the amount of the deposit to the excess of your policy to prevent financial loss.

Boating licence and deposit in boat rental is the legal and organisational combination of the statutory check on skipper skills and the financial cover for damage to the vessel or its inventory.

The decision table below gives a direct overview of the statutory licence requirements, the mandatory checks at the jetty and the recommended deposit per boat category.

Statutory rules on the boating licence (BPR and the Dutch Inland Waterways Act)

The rules for boating on Dutch inland waters are laid down in the Dutch Inland Waterways Police Regulations (Binnenvaartpolitiereglement, BPR) and the Dutch Inland Waterways Act (Binnenvaartwet). For most recreational sloops and open motorboats that you can hire in the Netherlands, no boating licence is required by law.

There are, however, two hard statutory limits at which the small boating licence (Klein Vaarbewijs) is mandatory:

1. Speed: By its construction or engine, the vessel can go faster than 20 kilometres per hour through the water (a so-called "fast motorboat").
2. Length: The vessel has a length of 15 metres to 25 metres.

There are two types of boating licence. The small boating licence 1 (KVB 1) is valid on all rivers, canals and lakes. The small boating licence 2 (KVB 2) is additionally mandatory for large open waters such as the IJsselmeer, the Wadden Sea, the Zeeland estuaries (Zeeuwse stromen) and the Ems/Dollart. For the exact legislation, see the information of the Government of the Netherlands on boating licence rules and the exam conditions at the CBR boating licence requirements.

Although the law sets a minimum age of 12 for open boats shorter than 7 metres that go no faster than 13 km/h, and of 16 for other motorboats up to 20 km/h, as a rental company you are free to tighten your own contract terms. Most sloop rental companies apply a strict age limit of 18 or 21 for the main booker.

Arranging the deposit in boat rental: excess and common damage

Every professional rental company takes out hull insurance for pleasure craft. A commercial boat policy of this kind almost always comes with a fixed excess, varying from € 250 to € 1,000 per claim.

It makes commercial sense to set the deposit you ask from the hirer exactly equal to the excess of your insurance. Should the hirer cause serious damage, the deposit withheld covers precisely the amount your insurer charges you.

Common types of damage in boat rental are:

• Propeller damage and engine problems: Hitting groynes, boulders, a shallow bottom or water plants.
• Hull damage and damage to the rope fender (kabelaring): Hitting the jetty hard when mooring, or a collision with another recreational boater.
• Missing or damaged inventory: Lost anchors, fenders that have drifted away, damaged cushion sets or life jackets that have disappeared.
• Cleaning and fuel: Returning the boat dirty or without refuelling.

For correct legal handling when withholding the deposit, read our article on withholding a deposit after damage and the rules for deposits on tools and equipment. How to set seasonal rates is explained in our overview on building up rental rates.

The departure briefing and skipper agreement at the jetty

Because many hirers of sloops and console boats are rarely on the water, a tight briefing at the jetty is your most important means of prevention. When you hand over the key, designate one person as the official skipper. This skipper signs the skipper agreement and is responsible for the entire rental period.

Go through these fixed steps before departure:

• Go through the BPR boating rules: Explain that you keep to the starboard (right-hand) side of the waterway as far as possible, that a small boat gives way to commercial shipping and that the skipper must stay out of the blind spot of inland vessels.
• Mention the alcohol limit: State explicitly that the same statutory alcohol limit applies to the skipper on the water as in road traffic (a maximum of 0.5 per mille).
• Mark out the boating area: Point out clear boundaries on the waterway chart. Prohibit, for example, entering busy main waterways, fast-boating zones or low bridges.
• Inventory and damage check: Walk round the boat together. Check that the anchor, boat hook, bailer, life jackets and the chain lock for mooring are present. Note existing scratches in advance.
• Short trial run: Show the skipper the kill switch, demonstrate steering in forward and reverse, and check whether he or she can steer the boat away from the jetty in a controlled way.

When handing over the boat, also take the weather conditions into account, as described in our guide to safety and weather on the water.

Where a strict licence and deposit policy causes friction

Applying a strict deposit and checking policy also has practical drawbacks at the yard. Asking for a deposit of € 300 or € 500 by debit card payment or credit card reservation raises a barrier for impulsive passers-by who want to go out on the water for an hour on the spur of the moment on a sunny afternoon.

In addition, a thorough departure briefing and going through the inventory together soon take 10 to 15 minutes per boat. When ten boats leave at the same time on a Saturday morning, long waiting times arise at the jetty. This logistical bottleneck has a lot in common with the challenges during peak weekends in rental. So you have to spread the departure times well over the morning.

How to start this week

Bring more structure to your boat rental straight away in the coming days with these five steps.

1. Check your boat policy for the exact amount of the excess per event and adjust your deposit to it.
2. Draw up a fixed departure form (skipper agreement) with the most important BPR rules, boating areas and an inventory list.
3. Hang a clear map showing the clearance heights of bridges and the shallows in a visible place at the jetty.
4. Set a hard age limit (for example 21+) for hiring your sloops and console boats.
5. In Bookedin you use custom fields in the booking form to set up in advance a mandatory agreement to the skipper requirements and the deposit terms, so the arrangement is fixed in black and white.

A professional policy on the boating licence and the deposit in boat rental brings calm to the jetty and prevents costly damage to your fleet. By applying clear statutory limits, going through a fixed departure protocol and matching the deposit to your insurance policy, you protect your business. Skippers appreciate the clear briefing and step on board with peace of mind. That is how you keep your rental business financially healthy and safe on the water.

Last checked on 8 October 2026. This article is not legal advice.