All boats must be registered, and boat drivers must hold a "Bodenseeschifferpatent" (Authorization to drive a patented vehicle on Lake Constance). It is awarded in Germany by the shipping offices of the district of Constance, the Lake Constance district and the district of Lindau, in Switzerland by the cantonal authorities and in Austria by the District Commission Bregenz. For pleasure boaters short-term guest licenses are possible (for the categories A for motorboats over 4.4 kW and D for sailboats over 12 m2 sail area).