The current legislation of yachting does not require identification documents neither for the driver nor for any passengers. However, in the case of control by the competent authorities, as required by the rules on public safety, if it is deemed necessary, the controller has the right to follow procedures that may also lead to the detention of people. It is therefore a good idea to take along a valid identity document.​

Art. 39 paragraph 1 and paragraph 2, of Legislative Decree n. 171/2005 provides that a boating license for pleasure crafts with a length not exceeding twenty-four meters is mandatory in the following cases, in relation to the navigation actually carried out a) for navigation over six miles from the coast, or in any case on water motors; b) for inland navigation or navigation in the maritime waters within six miles from the coast, when on board a motor is installed with a cylinder capacity exceeding 750 cc if two-stroke carburetted, or 1,000 cc if outboard four-stroke carburetted, or at direct injection, or if 1,300 cc if inboard four-stroke carburetted, or 2,000 cc if diesel cycled, however, with a power exceeding 30 KW or 40.8 cv. Whoever takes command of a pleasure craft longer than twenty-four metres, must be in possession of a license for pleasure boating.​

The piloting of pleasure crafts by foreign nationals in Italian territorial waters is governed by Art. 34 of Ministerial Decree n. 146 dated 29^th July 2008. Specifically, foreigners holding a licence or equivalent document from their own State can pilot, provided that it is free of charge, boats and pleasure vessels recorded in the Italian registers, and pleasure crafts within the limits of their licence.​

On the basis of art. 58 of Ministerial Decree n. 146/2008 an engine is considered an auxiliary engine when it is installed out-board, having a power not exceeding 20% of that of the main engine, and is accompanied by the certificate or statement of engine power. The auxiliary engine is used in case of failure of the main engine and does not contribute to the calculation of the power and engine size to establish the requirement for a boating license.​

The use of pleasure boats for the conduct of the business of leasing and hire is regulate d by art. 2 of Legislative Decree n. 171/2005. Specifically, paragraph 2 of such article subordinates this activity to the entry in the enrolment register with the indication of the type of commercial activity conducted (in this case, lease and rental), by the owners or operators exercising the activity (sole proprietorship or corporation) and details of their registration in the register of business of the competent Chamber of Commerce, industry, handicraft and Agriculture. The details of the entry must be reported on the navigation license of the vessel. In accordance with the circular letter n. 16E dated 30^th May 2012 of the Inland Revenue, companies that conduct the business of renting and / or leasing are not required to pay the annual fee, but the renters or lessees, even for short periods, are obligated to pay.​

As stated in Art. 16 of Ministerial Decree n. 146/2008 the cancellation procedure from the records of a pleasure boat as a result of demolition, involves the presentation of a special application at the office of registration of the unit, together with the minutes compiled by the competent authority (Maritime Office of the place where the demolition takes place) and stating the event. However, as regards, the procedure you can contact one of the shipyards that have this service.​

The pleasure crafts (units of length less than or equal to 10 m) are movable unregistered goods and therefore, they are not recorded in the public registers.  In cases of sale, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Code, it is not required for them to have any registration or to make public transfer of ownership, provided that the same was not registered by the owner in the "RID" (Registry of pleasure crafts).​

From 1^st May 2012 for pleasure crafts with a length of more than 10 meters an annual fee has been introduced. The payment must be made no later than 31^st May of each year and covers the period from 1^st May to 30^th April of the following year. The fee is reduced by half for units of length up to 12 meters used as the ordinary means of transport by the owners living in the towns and the smaller islands in the lagoon of Venice, and for sailing boats with an auxiliary motor. Concessions are also given according to the age of the boat. The tax also does not apply to units owned by institutions and associations which use them as capital goods of lease and rental firms, and to support units for the purposes of assistance and rescue (art. 16 of Law Decree n. 201/2011, converted into Law n. 214/2011 and amended by art. 60 B of Law n. 27/2012).​

Can I exceed the distance of 12 miles with my pleasure boat CE marked in favourable weather conditions?​

The limits of navigation for CE marked boats are established by Art. 27, paragraph 4, of Legislative Decree n. 171 dated 18^th July 2005, according to the design category (A, B, C, D). The criteria used to determine such limits do not take into account the distance from the coast, but the weather and sea conditions. It should, however, be borne in mind that the pleasure crafts, not being registered in the public registers, are not entitled to fly the Italian flag. According to the 1982 Montego Bay International Convention (implemented in Italy with Law n. 689/1994) a ship which sails in international waters without a flag is subject to the sovereignty of the warships of any nationality. Therefore, since unregistered vessels cannot avail themselves of the flag to which they belong, their navigation in international waters constitutes a risk to which the conductor exposes himself. Lastly, the navigation in the territorial waters of other states is governed by the sovereignty of the same and it is therefore always advisable to check with local authorities on the discipline applied.​

It is possible to pilot a pleasure craft, for which a boating license is mandatory, even not possessing the licence, provided that onboard there is at least one person holding a boating license, taking responsibility for the operations of control and navigation. This takes into account the distinct meaning that is attributed, by custom, to the terms "command" and "conduct" of the unit. In fact, with the command you assume the responsibility for navigation and safety of the people onboard and the management of all the operations necessary for the navigation, which can also be delegated to third parties. In the latter case, therefore, the person in charge, in possession of the license or certification, may not coincide with the conductor at that time physically at the helm.​

The safety certificate attests that the unit complies with the directives of the rules of safety depending on the type certificate. It is required for boats and pleasure vessels (units with hull length longer than 10 meters) and the vessels that are recorded in the public records of pleasure craft.​

Art. 31 of Ministerial Decree n. 146/2008 indicates that those who have applied for admission to the examinations for the granting of boating license are authorized to exercise the control or management of marine pleasure crafts, within the limits of the authorization request, provided that there is a person onboard with a boat license issued at least three years before, with a licence at least equal to the one that the person aspires to achieve. They must have with them the copy of the application, completed by the visa of the maritime authority or of the civil motorization, which gives, accompanied by an identity document, permission to practice on board of the pleasure craft. This document is valid for three months, extendable for a further three months.​