How-to: Pleasure Craft Licensing
- How do I licence a previously unlicensed pleasure craft?
- How do I transfer the licence of a previously licensed pleasure craft into my name?
- How do I obtain a duplicate of my licence?
- How do I fill out a Declaration Under Oath?
How do I licence a previously unlicensed pleasure craft?
Make sure to follow these instructions carefully when completing your application. Incomplete information may result in delays in the processing of your application, especially in the case of mail-in applications.
Fill out the form Application for Pleasure Craft Licence as described below.
- Complete Part A.
- In Part C, select "DOMESTIC" if your boat was purchased in Canada or "FOREIGN" if it was purchased outside of Canada.
- You are applying for a new Pleasure Craft Licence, therefore select "New" in the "Make application for" section.
- Complete Part D. Remember that this information will greatly assist Search and Rescue personnel should you ever require their services. Use the "Craft Remarks" if you wish to provide more detailed information that could be of use in an emergency.
Note: Part D contains some fields (hull material, hull type, primary hull colour and secondary hull colour fields) with drop-down menus. These drop-down menus offer choices for what to include in the field in question.
- Sign and date the form.
You now have two options to get your request processed.
Option 1: In person
Visit your local Service Canada Centre. In addition to the completed form, you will need to bring a document that establishes your ownership of the pleasure craft, such as a bill of sale. You will also be asked to provide personal identification. Provided that all of your information is complete, you will be issued a Pleasure Craft Licence on the spot.
Important note: If you do not have a document that establishes your ownership of the pleasure craft, you must provide a Declaration Under Oath. Detailed information on how to fill out a Declaration Under Oath is available below.
Option 2: By mail
Mail your completed and signed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence along with:
- A document that establishes your ownership of the pleasure craft such as a bill of sale;
- A signed photocopy of your identification (both sides of your identification must be on the photocopy), and;
- A Declaration Under Oath (if required).
To: Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre
P.O. Box 2006
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5G4
Important note: If your application is incomplete or your supporting documentation is missing, your entire application package will be returned to you. To avoid any delays, please make sure that you carefully follow the steps outlined above.
How do I transfer the licence of a previously licensed pleasure craft into my name?
Make sure to follow these instructions carefully when completing your application. Incomplete information may result in substantial delays in the processing of your application, especially in the case of mail-in applications.
Fill out the form Application for Pleasure Craft Licence as described below.
- Complete Part A.
- Complete Part B by writing the current licence number of the pleasure craft in the space provided.
- In the "Make application for" section, select the "Transfer" box.
- Complete Part D. Remember that this information will greatly assist Search and Rescue personnel should you ever require their services. Use the "Craft Remarks" area if you wish to provide more detailed information that could be of use in an emergency.
Note: Part D contains some fields (hull material, hull type, primary hull colour and secondary hull colour fields) with drop-down menus. These drop-down menus offer choices for what to include in the field in question.
- Complete Part E.
- Sign and date the form.
You now have two options to get your request processed.
Option 1: In person
Visit your local Service Canada Centre. In addition to the completed Application form you will need to bring a document that establishes your ownership of the pleasure craft, such as a bill of sale, along with the original licence. Both the previous owner and the new owner must sign the original licence. You will also be asked to provide personal identification. Provided that all of your information is complete, you will be issued a Pleasure Craft Licence on the spot.
If you do not have a document that establishes your ownership of the pleasure craft and/or the original licence signed by both parties, you must provide a Declaration Under Oath. Detailed information on how to fill out a Declaration Under Oath is available below.
Option 2: By mail
Mail your completed and signed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence along with:
- A document that establishes your ownership of the pleasure craft, such as a bill of sale;
- The original licence signed by both the previous owner and the new owner (you);
- A signed photocopy of your identification (both sides of your identification must be on the photocopy); and
- A Declaration Under Oath (if required).
To: Pleasure Craft Licence Centre
P.O. Box 2006
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5G4
Important note: If your application is incomplete or your supporting documentation is missing, your entire application package will be returned to you. To avoid any delays, please make sure that you carefully follow the steps outlined above.
How do I obtain a duplicate of my licence?
Fill out the form Application for Pleasure Craft Licence as described below.
- Complete Part A.
- Complete Part B by writing the current licence number of the pleasure craft in the space provided.
- You are requesting a duplicate Pleasure Craft Licence therefore select "Duplicate" in the "Make application for" section.
- Sign and date the form.
You now have two options to get your request processed.
Option 1: In person
Visit your local Service Canada Centre. In addition to the completed form you will be asked to provide personal identification.
The identity of the licensee on file must be established prior to issuing a duplicate licence. As such, clients will be asked to return in 48 hours while a manual file search is performed to validate the information on file. If the search shows that you are in fact the licensee on file, a licence will be issued to you. This process will be used to obtain a duplicate licence until all Pleasure Craft Licences issued by the Canada Border Services Agency are entered into the electronic database and can be searched more quickly.
If the information on file does not indicate that you are the last licensee on file, you will be asked to produce a Declaration Under Oath. Detailed information on how to fill out a Declaration Under Oath is available below.
Option 2: By mail
Mail your completed and signed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence along with:
- A signed photocopy of your identification (both sides of your identification must be on the photocopy), and
- A Declaration Under Oath (if required).
To: Pleasure Craft Licence Centre
P.O. Box 2006
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5G4
Important note: If your application is incomplete or your supporting documentation is missing, your entire application package will be returned to you. To avoid any delays, please make sure that you carefully follow the steps outlined above.
How do I fill out a Declaration Under Oath?
The Declaration does not have to be made on the sample form issued by the Office of Boating Safety. Declarations can be another sworn document; however, they must contain enough of the following information to satisfy the Service Delivery Representative that the requestor has lawful authority to licence a specific pleasure craft.
The Declaration should include:
- Name, date of birth and address of the new owner
- Licence number of the pleasure craft (if applicable)
- Make and model of the pleasure craft
- Hull Identification Number
- Hull material and colour
- Length
- Propulsion type
- Name of the previous owner of the pleasure craft
- Statement as to why the licence, proof of ownership or other document cannot be produced
- For an unlicensed pleasure craft, a statement that, to the best of the applicant's knowledge, the pleasure craft was not previously licensed
- Date of issuance of original licence (if applicable)
- Signature of current pleasure craft owner
- Signature of Lawyer, Notary, Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Oaths
- Printed name of the Lawyer, Notary, Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Oaths
Important Note: A Lawyer, Notary, Justice of the Peace, Commissioner of Oaths or a person legally entitled to sign such documents in Canada must sign a Statutory Declaration under oath.
