SBF Binnen (Motor) – Inland Boating Licence: Exam, Questions, Requirements

Under the Sportbootführerscheinverordnung, anyone operating a sport boat with an engine of more than 11.03 kW (15 hp) on inland waterways needs the official SBF Binnen. On the Rhine the lower limit of 3.68 kW (5 hp) applies. Rented “licence-free” boats stay below this limit. The licence is valid on all German inland waterways; on Lake Constance the Bodenseeschifferpatent applies instead, which has its own rules.

The requirements are a minimum age of 16, physical and mental fitness (proven by a medical certificate specified by the examination board) and reliability. You register with an examination board of the Deutscher Motoryachtverband (DMYV) or the Deutscher Segler-Verband (DSV); both associations have been entrusted by the federal government with conducting the exam. Fees and dates are set by the boards.

The theory exam is a multiple-choice question paper: each question has four answers, exactly one of which is correct. The paper for the SBF Binnen with engine contains 30 questions – 7 basic questions and 23 specific inland questions – and must be completed in 45 minutes. The paper is passed only if at least 5 basic questions and at least 18 specific questions are answered correctly; both thresholds apply independently. If only one part is failed, only that part is retested on the retake; anyone who fails the basic questions must also retake the specific questions.

Aids such as reference books or a mobile phone are not permitted; an attempt to cheat means “failed”. Anyone who already holds the SBF See answers only the 23 specific inland questions (35 minutes), because the basic questions have already been tested. All figures come from the official assessment key (as of 31 October 2022) and SpFV, Anlage 3.

The exam questions are public: the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration publishes the question and answer catalogue Binnen on www.elwis.de (as of 1 August 2023, announced in the Verkehrsblatt, the federal transport gazette). It contains 72 basic questions (traffic law, boat handling, environment, technology, weather) and 181 specific inland questions (Binnenschifffahrtsstraßen-Ordnung, rules of the road, sound signals, waterway signs, lights). In the catalogue answer a is always correct – in the exam the answers are shuffled.

BootFit and ScheinFit show exactly these 253 questions unchanged, with all images and waterway signs, and shuffle the answer positions every time they are displayed. That way you learn the content, not the position of the correct answer. Every question carries its number and its source.

In addition to the theory, a practical exam must be taken (SpFV § 8, Anlage 4): manoeuvres such as casting off and mooring, man overboard, turning in confined spaces, and knots. Both parts must be passed within one year; a failed part cannot be retaken on the same day. The exams are not public. Many boating schools offer courses, but a course is not mandatory – you can learn the theory entirely on your own.

1. Learn: all 253 questions in order, by area (basic/inland), by topic or only the picture questions – with a translation under every question and answer (Persian, English, Arabic, Turkish) and an explanation after answering.
2. Review: questions answered incorrectly come back on a schedule (spaced repetition); favourites, notes and flashcards help you remember.
3. Simulate the exam: 7 + 23 questions in 45 minutes with a timer, a question mix following the official distribution and both pass thresholds – the evaluation shows where you stand in each area.

Getting started is free and possible without an account; the questions can be downloaded as a package and learnt offline.