CPF and Boat Licenses: What You Need to Know

The “Compte Personnel de Formation” (CPF), or Personal Training Account, allows any active person, whether employed or seeking employment, to accumulate training rights throughout their career. Funded with €500 per year (up to €800 for those with lower qualifications), it is managed via the official MonCompteFormation.gouv.fr platform.

However, not all training courses are eligible. For a training course to be financed by the CPF, it must meet a professional qualification logic and be certified by France Compétences, the national authority responsible for regulating and financing vocational training. It must also be listed in the RNCP (National Directory of Professional Certifications) or the RS (Specific Directory). A standard driver’s license (category B), for example, can be financed… under certain conditions related to a professional project.

Recreational Boat Licenses: The Disappointment

Recreational boat licenses – whether coastal, offshore, or inland waterway – do not fall within the scope of these qualifying training courses. They are considered leisure training, without a direct link to a recognized professional activity. As a result, they cannot be financed via the CPF.

The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and France Compétences confirm that recreational boating license training is excluded from the CPF because it does not lead to a professional certification recognized by the State. These licenses are issued by the Delegations to the Sea and the Coast, but they are neither registered in the RNCP nor in the RS.

The Exception: Professional Licenses

There is, however, an exception. For maritime professionals, it is possible to use their CPF to obtain the Professional Capacity Certificate (CCP B), which is necessary to carry out maritime activities for profit (commercial navigation, passenger transport, fishing, etc.).

This license is issued as part of training recognized and supervised by the Directorate of Maritime Affairs. To be eligible for the CPF, the training must be provided by an approved organization and registered in the RNCP. The exam includes more advanced tests and a curriculum supervised by professional maritime regulations. It is therefore not a leisure license, but a professional maritime qualification.

Beware of Scams and False Promises

In recent years, some platforms or maritime driving schools have suggested that the CPF could cover all or part of a coastal or offshore license. This is false. And in some cases, it may even constitute fraud.

France Compétences regularly warns about abuses related to the CPF, with increasing reports of ineligible training courses being financed in a roundabout way. The DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) has strengthened controls, as these practices can lead to the deletion of the CPF account and prosecution in cases of fraudulent use.

Alternative Ways to Finance Your Boat License

If the CPF cannot be used, other options exist. Pôle Emploi (the French employment agency) may cover part of the costs for job seekers, subject to a clear professional project validated by an advisor. In some regions, local aid schemes or training vouchers are also available.

Finally, many centers offer payment facilities (in installments without fees) or reduced rates in the off-season. Obtaining a boat license therefore remains accessible, but without using the CPF.

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