Miami · Rules and Safety
Coast Guard Passenger Rules for Miami Yacht Charters
See who counts as a passenger, what the federal rules say, and how to send your headcount for a check before you pay.
How Many People Can Be on a Yacht? U.S. Coast Guard Rules Explained
How many people can be on a yacht depends on the boat and its federal papers, not on one fixed number. U.S. law defines who counts as a passenger on a charter yacht, and an inspected vessel carries the number its inspection sets. Our catalog adds its own limit for a private charter: up to 13 people including the charterer, and children count.
- Who counts. Federal law calls anyone carried aboard a passenger, with named exceptions: the owner, the charterer, the captain and the paid crew. The definition has no age exception, so a child on board is a person on board.
- The size of the group. Federal rules draw a line at more than 6 passengers on a vessel under 100 gross tons when at least one passenger pays or the owner supplies the crew. Above it, the vessel is a small passenger vessel, and the Coast Guard inspects it.
- The vessel's papers. A crewed yacht above that line needs a valid Certificate of Inspection on board, and the inspection sets the maximum number of people aboard. Each inspected yacht has its own number.
- The captain. A licensed captain runs the yacht. The license class depends on the vessel, and your advisor confirms it for the yacht you pick. Every card below shows the guest limit of that yacht.
Pick a yacht below, or answer 5 quick questions and an advisor replies within 15 minutes, 8 am to 10 pm daily. This page is a guide to the rules, not legal advice.
Federal Passenger Rules for a Chartered Yacht, With Sources
These are the main U.S. rules that shape who counts as a passenger and when a chartered yacht with a captain is inspected. The table gives each rule in plain words and links the text of the law, so you can read it yourself.
| Rule | In plain words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who is a passenger | Anyone carried aboard, except the owner or the owner's representative, the charterer or the charterer's representative, the captain and the paid crew. No age exception. | 46 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Small passenger vessel | A vessel under 100 gross tons with more than 6 passengers, at least one of them paying, is a small passenger vessel. So is a vessel chartered with the owner's crew and more than 6 passengers. | 46 U.S.C. § 2101 |
| Inspection | A small passenger vessel is inspected by the Coast Guard, and it needs a valid Certificate of Inspection on board. | 46 U.S.C. § 3301, § 3309, 46 CFR 176.100 |
| People aboard | The Coast Guard officer who inspects the vessel determines the maximum number of people aboard. | 46 CFR 176.112 |
| Captain's license | A captain with an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels license runs a vessel with up to 6 passengers. An inspected small passenger vessel needs a Master license. | 46 CFR 11.467, 46 CFR 15.805 |
| Capacity plate | The Coast Guard capacity label is required on single-hull boats shorter than 20 ft, so a boat of 20 ft or longer is outside that rule. | 33 CFR 183.21 |
| Life jackets | A rule for recreational boats: one wearable life jacket for each person aboard, and a child under 13 wears one while the boat is moving, unless below deck in a closed cabin. Your advisor confirms what applies to your yacht. | 33 CFR 175.15 |
The exact number is set for each yacht. Send your date and group, and an advisor checks which yacht fits before you pay anything. Payment and the rental agreement are on one page: booking terms.
How to book
How to Book a Yacht Rental in Miami in 5 Steps
1. Choose a yacht
Browse the catalog, or answer 5 questions and we'll pick.
2. Send a request
By form, phone or WhatsApp.
3. Free date hold
We hold the date with no obligation to book. If another guest asks for the yacht, you get 24 hours to say yes.
4. Pay the 30% deposit
To the yacht owner, and sign the charter agreement.
5. Pay at the dock
Pay the balance, meet your captain and head out.
Why Articles Say 12 Guests, and What to Do for Your Group
Many articles on yacht capacity repeat the number 12. Writers trace it to SOLAS, the international convention on safety of life at sea, which calls a ship carrying more than 12 passengers a passenger ship. That convention is about ships on international voyages, so for a Miami day charter the federal passenger rules above and the papers of the exact yacht give you the number.
Here is how to plan around it:
- 01Count everyone. Adults, children and the person who books. Children count toward the limit of 13 on our catalog.
- 02Send your date and headcount. Answer 5 quick questions. We hold your date free while you decide.
- 03Let an advisor match the yacht. The advisor checks availability on your date and picks the yachts available that fit your group.
- 04Sign with the yacht owner. You sign the rental agreement with the owner before you sail, pay a 30% deposit to the owner and the balance at the dock.
- 05A group over 13. A big group may need a large yacht, so send us your headcount and we check which event yachts can take your group. The large groups page shows how that works.
For a family or friends trip of up to 13, start with private yacht rentals and pick the card that suits your plan.
5 questions
Not Sure Which Yacht Fits Your Group?
Tell us the occasion, date and group size. We'll check which yachts are free on your day and send the ones that fit, with prices.
Match My YachtQuestions About How Many People Can Be on a Yacht
How many people can be on a yacht in Miami?
It depends on the yacht and its federal papers. A charter on our catalog takes up to 13 people including the charterer, and each card shows the guest limit for that yacht. For a bigger group, send us your headcount and we check which event yachts can take your group.
Do children count toward the number of people on a yacht?
Yes. The federal definition of a passenger has no age exception, and on our catalog children count toward the limit of 13. Count every child when you send your headcount, so the advisor can match a yacht that suits the whole group.
Does the captain count as a passenger on a yacht?
No. U.S. law leaves the captain and the paid crew out when it counts passengers, and it leaves out the owner and the charterer too. The limit of 13 on our catalog is the headcount of your group, including you.
What is the 12-person yacht rule?
Articles usually trace it to SOLAS, an international convention on safety at sea, which calls a ship with more than 12 passengers a passenger ship. For a day charter in Miami, the federal passenger rules and the papers of the exact yacht set the number, so ask your advisor to confirm it.
Do I need a captain's license to charter a yacht?
No, you do not run the boat. On a crewed yacht the captain is part of the charter, and U.S. rules require a licensed captain for paid passengers. The license class depends on the vessel, and your advisor confirms the details for the yacht you choose.
Is there a Coast Guard capacity plate on a yacht?
The Coast Guard capacity label is required on single-hull boats shorter than 20 ft. A yacht falls outside that rule, so its limit comes from the vessel's own papers. Ask your advisor to confirm it for your group.
How can I check a yacht before I pay?
Ask your advisor for the yacht's name, then look it up in the Coast Guard's public vessel search, PSIX, at cgmix.uscg.mil/psix. We confirm the yacht and the final terms before you pay anything. You sign with the yacht owner, as the booking terms explain.
Is this yacht capacity page legal advice?
No. It is a plain-English guide to federal rules with links to the sources, and rules change. For a legal question about a specific charter, ask a maritime attorney.
Your date
Pick Your Date and We'll Hold the Yacht for Free
Weekend yachts in Miami get booked early. Send us your date and group size, and we'll keep the yacht for you while you talk it over with friends.
- Holding a date is free and doesn't oblige you to book
- Yacht options with prices within 15 minutes, 8 am to 10 pm
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
