Home / Boat licences / WA
Do you need a boat licence to sail in WA?
Yes — an RST for any motor over 4.5 kW (6hp).
A Recreational Skipper’s Ticket (RST) is required to operate a recreational vessel with a motor greater than 4.5 kW (6 horsepower). It has applied since April 2008.
- Registration
- Vessel registration is a separate requirement from holding an RST.
- Minimum age
- 14 years
- Authority
- Department of Transport WA →
- Checked
- September 2026
Sailing, motoring, and where the line falls
Western Australia calls its licence a Recreational Skipper’s Ticket, and the 4.5 kW threshold means virtually every cruising yacht auxiliary is covered.
The RST is a nationally recognised certificate of competency covering the knowledge and practical skills to operate a powerboat safely. It involves a practical component, not just a written test.
Only the skipper — the person in charge of the vessel — needs to hold it. You must be at least 14 years old, and once issued it does not need renewing and carries no ongoing fee.
None of this is a sailing qualification. An RST says you can safely operate a powerboat; it says nothing about reefing, navigation or handling a yacht under sail.
A boat licence is not a sailing qualification. It tests that you can operate a powered vessel safely and know the rules of the water. It says nothing about reefing, navigation, anchoring or handling a yacht under sail — which is what a sailing course teaches, and what a charter company will actually ask you about.
Licensing rules change. This page was checked in September 2026; confirm the current requirement with Department of Transport WA before you rely on it.
The rule in other states
New South Wales
Only at 10 knots or more. Under sail alone, no licence.
Queensland
Yes if the engine is over 4.5 kW — which most yacht auxiliaries are.
Victoria
Yes for any powered vessel, including a yacht with an auxiliary.
South Australia
Yes for any engine at all, whatever its size.
Tasmania
Yes at 4hp or more — and it requires a practical course.
Northern Territory
No. The NT has no recreational boat licence.
Australian Capital Territory
Yes, but the ACT issues none — you use another state’s.
A licence gets you out of the marina. A course gets you sailing.
Three questions — your experience, the boat you want to sail, and your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.