<snip> I have a friend who owns a B&B on a lake. My friend would like to give his guests a ride on the lake on his pontoon boat. The ride is included in the cost of the room. Question: Does my friend need a captain's license? >>> That depends...does the lake shore touch more than one state? The agency that issues captain's licenses is the USCG, and they have jurisdiction on all navigable waters of the USA. Bodies of water that allow passage from one state to another by water, like for instance, Lake Tahoe, fall under the USCG jurisdiction, and the above example would probably require a captain's license. If the body of water is totally surrounded by the land of one state, the coasties will not require him to have a license, but his insurance company could still require that. Doug USCG 100ton for 15 years