Pleasure Craft Licences: Questions and Answers

This page provides answers to the most common questions we receive about Pleasure Craft Licences. For step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a new licence, how to transfer an existing licence, as well as how to process a number of other transactions, visit our How-to page.

1. What is a Pleasure Craft Licence and why is it required?
2. What is a pleasure craft?
3. What types of boats need to be licensed?
4. I just bought a new boat. How do I license it?
5. How do I license a new boat that I bought in the United States?
6. How do I license a boat I built myself?
7. I just bought a used boat. How do I transfer the licence to my name?
8. I am selling my boat. How do I transfer the licence?
9. How do I replace a lost pleasure craft licence?
10. Is there a fee for the licence?
11. What kind of information does a Pleasure Craft Licence include, and how is this information used?
12. I've heard of the pleasure craft "licence" and the pleasure craft "operator card." Are they the same thing?
13. What is the difference between a licence and registration, and which vessels need which documents?
14. Can I both register and license my pleasure craft?
15. What documents can I use as valid pieces of personal identification?
16. How should I display the licence number on my boat?
17. Does the licence prove the ownership of my boat?
18. Is there a fine if I do not have a Pleasure Craft Licence?
19. What does Service Canada do with the information on my application?
20. Why did Transport Canada transfer the service from the Canada Border Services Agency to Service Canada?
21. How does the service I receive from Service Canada differ from that provided by the Canada Border Services Agency?
22. How does this new licensing system improve public safety and security?
23. What is a dealer or demonstration licence?

1. What is a Pleasure Craft Licence and why is it required?
   
   A Pleasure Craft Licence is an identification number displayed on a recreational vessel as required under the Small Vessel Regulations of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. This number helps law-enforcement and search-and-rescue organizations trace each pleasure craft to its owner.
   
   
2. What is a pleasure craft?
   
   A pleasure craft is a vessel that is used for recreation and does not carry passengers. It is a vessel of a prescribed class under the Canada Shipping Act.
   
   
3. What types of boats need to be licensed?
   
   A licence is mandatory for all pleasure craft equipped with a motor of 10 horsepower (7.5 kilowatts) or more, including personal watercraft.
   
   Pleasure craft of all tonnages and lengths may be licensed as per the Canada Shipping Act. Alternatively, pleasure craft owners may choose to register their vessels in the Canadian Register of Vessels.
   
   
4. I just bought a new boat. How do I license it?
   
   To license a new or previously unlicensed pleasure craft, you will need the following documents:
   
   
   • a completed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence;
   • proof of ownership of the vessel; and
   • a valid piece of personal identification.

   If proof of ownership is not available, you need a declaration under oath stating why you cannot produce the bill of sale or proof of ownership. You may use the sample declaration provided or another similar document, as long as it contains all of the information required.

   You can apply for a Pleasure Craft Licence at any Service Canada Centre. For the location nearest you, visit our Find a Service Canada Centre Near You page or call 1 800 O-Canada.

   You can also apply by mail. If you are applying by mail, include a signed photocopy of your personal identification document. We will return the photocopy to you when we send you your licence.

   For more information about licensing a pleasure craft, visit our How-to page.

5. How do I license a new boat that I bought in the United States?

   To license a new or used boat you bought in the United States, you will need the following documents:

   • a completed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence;
   • proof of ownership of the vessel; and
   • a valid piece of personal identification.

   For information on how to remit duty and taxes on the purchase of a pleasure craft, please visit the Canada Border Services Agency Web site or call the toll-free number 1 800 461-9999.

   For more information about licensing a boat, visit our How-to page.

6. How do I license a boat I built myself?
   
   To license a boat you've built, you will need the following documents:
   
   
   • a completed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence;
   • a valid piece of personal identification; and
   • a declaration under oath (stating who built the boat).

   Note: You must indicate "home built" in the "Description of Vessel" section of the application.

   For more information about licensing a boat, visit our How-to page.

7. I just bought a used boat. How do I transfer the licence to my name?
   
   To transfer a licence to your name, you will need the following documents:
   
   
   • a completed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence;
   • proof of ownership of the vessel; and
   • a valid piece of personal identification.

   If the proof of ownership is not available, you will also need a declaration under oath stating why you cannot produce these documents. You can use the sample declaration provided or another similar document, as long as it contains all of the information required.

   You can apply for a Pleasure Craft Licence at any Service Canada Centre. For the location nearest you, visit our Find a Service Canada Centre Near You page or call 1 800 O-Canada.

   You can also apply by mail. If you are applying by mail, include a signed photocopy of your personal identification document. We will return the photocopy to you when we send you your licence.

   For more information about transferring a Pleasure Craft Licence, visit our How-to page.

8. I am selling my boat. How do I transfer the licence?
   
   When you sell your boat, keep a copy of your bill of sale. The new owner will have to transfer the Pleasure Craft Licence by mail or by visiting one of our Service Canada Centres with the necessary documentation as indicated above (see Question 7).
   
   
9. How do I replace a lost Pleasure Craft Licence?
   
   To replace a lost Pleasure Craft Licence, you will need the following documents:
   
   
   • a completed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence; and
   • a valid piece of personal identification.

   If the information on file does not indicate that you are the last licensee, you will also need a declaration under oath. You can use the sample declaration provided or another similar document, as long as it contains all of the information required.

   You can apply for a duplicate of your Pleasure Craft Licence at any Service Canada Centre across the country. For the location nearest you, visit our Find a Service Canada Centre Near You page or call 1 800 O-Canada.

   You can also apply by mail. If you are applying by mail, include a signed photocopy of your identification. We will return the photocopy to you when we send you your license.

   For more detailed information about replacing a lost Pleasure Craft Licence, visit our How-to page.

10. Is there a fee for the licence?
    
    No, there is no fee for a Pleasure Craft Licence.
    
    
11. What kind of information does a Pleasure Craft Licence include, and how is this information used?
    
    A Pleasure Craft Licence includes basic contact information for each pleasure craft owner, as well as a description of the vessel. The identification number it provides is used by law-enforcement and search-and-rescue agencies to identify the owner of a pleasure craft when they need to enforce pleasure craft regulations, or when they find a boat adrift or overturned.
    
    

12. I've heard of the pleasure craft "licence" and the pleasure craft "operator card." Are they the same thing?

    The pleasure craft operator card is sometimes referred to as a licence, but the two are not the same. The Pleasure Craft Licence provides each vessel with an identification number. The pleasure craft operator card is a form of proof that pleasure craft operators need to carry to demonstrate their competency to operate a boat.

    The card is the most common proof of competency. However, boaters can also demonstrate competency if they:

    • have proof of successfully completing a boating safety course in Canada before April 1, 1999; or
    • have completed a rental boat safety checklist for boat renters.

    For more information on operator competency requirements and how they apply to you, visit the boating safety Course providers page on the Transport Canada Web site.

13. What is the difference between a licence and registration, and which vessels need which documents?
    
    Licence

    A licence provides a unique identification number for a vessel that search-and-rescue personnel and other agencies can use to identify the owner of the vessel. The licence number has to be displayed on both sides of the bow of the vessel, above the water line. The number must be displayed in block characters not less than 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) high and in a colour that contrasts with the colour of the bow.
    
    The licence is mandatory for all pleasure craft equipped with a motor of 10 horsepower (7.5 kilowatts) or more, including personal watercraft. Service Canada issues these licences.
    
    Note: You do not need a Pleasure Craft Licence if a boat is registered (see Question 3 above).
    
    The Pleasure Craft Licence is free of charge, and is transferable to any subsequent owner of the vessel. The licence must be carried on board the vessel at all times. However, a licence is not a title document. Operators must also carry other documents (such as a document that establishes ownership) to help avoid delays clearing U.S. or Canada customs, or in case of a fine.

    Registration

    The Canadian Register of Vessels is a title system for the ownership of vessels. It contains information on each vessel, such as ownership and vessel characteristics, i.e., tonnage, construction material, and type. Registration in this register, in addition to providing an official number, also provides each vessel with a unique name. It also confers certain benefits, such as the right to fly the Canadian flag.

    Owners who intend to use the vessel as security for a marine mortgage are required to register their vessel.

    Registration is optional for all pleasure craft, regardless of tonnage and length, as per the Canada Shipping Act.

    New owners of a previously registered vessel who choose to license rather than reregister their boat must provide a transcript of the history of the vessel, obtainable from a Transport Canada registrar, attesting that the vessel has been taken off the Canadian Register of Vessels. The owner must then remove all official markings from the exterior of the vessel and place the pleasure craft licence number on both side of the bow (see Question 16).

    There are costs associated with registering. However, the registration is good for as long as you own the vessel. You must carry registration documents on board the vessel at all times, together with any other ownership documents, to help avoid delays clearing U.S. or Canada customs, or in case of a fine.

    Transport Canada provides this registration service. For frequently asked questions on registration, please visit Transport Canada's Web site.

14. Can I both register and license my pleasure craft?
    
    No, a pleasure craft cannot be both licensed and registered.
    
    
15. What documents can I use as valid pieces of personal identification?
    
    Documents that we consider to be valid pieces of identification include the following:
    
    
    • provincial/territorial birth certificate
    • population list (Inuit and Cree only)
    • certificate of Canadian citizenship
    • certificate of registration of birth abroad
    • permanent resident card
    • record of landing
    • work permit
    • study permit
    • visitor record
    • valid Canadian passport
    • Minister permit
    
    
    
16. How should I display the licence number on my boat?
    
    You must display the licence number on both sides of the bow in block characters not less than 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) high and in a colour that contrasts with the background colour.
    
    
17. Does the licence prove the ownership of my boat?
    
    A licence does not prove ownership of your boat. You must carry separate ownership documents with you.
    
    
18. Is there a fine if I do not have a Pleasure Craft Licence?
    
    There is a fine of $250 if you are found to be operating a vessel without a licence.
    
    
19. What does Service Canada do with the information from my application?
    
    At Service Canada, we protect all information you provide on your licence application according to the appropriate privacy and access-to-information legislation.
    
    
20. Why did Transport Canada transfer the service from the Canada Border Services Agency to Service Canada?
    
    We recognize the great service that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has provided to Canadians over many years. However, Service Canada, an agency whose core role is delivering services to Canadians, is able to provide more comprehensive service with almost triple the number of service outlets currently available through the CBSA. Transport Canada and Service Canada are building on the service that the CBSA provided, as well as the licence information it has gathered, to further enhance services to Canadians.
    
    
21. How does the service I receive from Service Canada differ from that provided by the Canada Border Services Agency?
    
    Service Canada gives you access to almost three times as many offices where you can apply for your pleasure craft licence. The licensing system is electronic, and provides enhanced search capabilities for search-and-rescue and law-enforcement agencies.
    
    
22. How does this new licensing system improve public safety and security?
    
    Search-and-rescue and law-enforcement agencies now have immediate, 24/7 access to boat information stored in a common database. This information can help identify owners of boats found adrift, overturned, or sunk.
    
    
23. What is a dealer or demonstration licence?
    
    A dealer or demonstration licence is a Pleasure Craft Licence used for demonstration purposes only. This type of licence does not apply to any one pleasure craft. It is issued to a boat dealer to use on any of the unlicensed pleasure craft in the dealer's name. Dealers should not paint this licence number on any boat, because boat owners must apply for a new number to display once they purchase a pleasure craft.