Short answer: it depends on the engine, not on the length of the boat. In France you need a licence to drive a motor boat whose engine is more than 4.5 kW, which is 6 horsepower. Almost every RIB and motor boat on Goon Boat is above that line, so either the person at the helm holds a licence, or the boat goes out with a skipper.
The rule in one line
The French pleasure boat licence, the permis plaisance, is required for any motor boat with more than 4.5 kW (6 hp). For the sea, the basic level is the coastal option, the option côtière. It lets you go up to 6 nautical miles from a shelter, which covers a normal day out from any of our ports: the Lérins Islands off Cannes, the coves of Cap d’Antibes, Porquerolles off Hyères or Pampelonne beach near Saint-Tropez.
Who needs to hold it
Only the person who drives the boat. Your friends and family on board do not need anything. If two people want to take turns at the helm, both need a licence that the operator accepts.
Sailing boats are different
At sea, French law does not require a licence to sail a sailing boat. In practice, operators still want to know who is in charge. Expect questions about your sailing experience before they hand over a monohull or a catamaran, or an offer to add a skipper for the day.
Boats you can drive without a licence
A boat with an engine of 6 hp or less can be driven without a licence. These boats are slow and made for calm water close to the shore, so they are a small part of what is listed on the site.
A licence from another country
There is no international pleasure boat licence. Whether your licence is accepted depends on the country that issued it and on the boat itself. Do not guess: send a photo of your licence to the operator through Contact Owner before you book, and they will tell you if it works for that boat.
No licence? Book with a skipper
Every boat on Goon Boat shows its skipper option on the card: with skipper, skipper optional, or without skipper. A boat with a skipper needs no licence from you at all, and the skipper knows the local coves, the depths and the rules. In the Book Now box the skipper cost is added to the total before you send the request, so you see the full price up front. Browse the boats and look for the skipper line under each card.
Rules summarised from the French Ministry of the Sea (mer.gouv.fr). They can change, so check the current version before you sail.