Have you recently purchased a boat? Or, are you considering buying a vessel of your very own for the first time? If so, this can be an exciting occasion. With a boat all your own, you can venture out onto the water whenever you would like, free to spend afternoons and weekends making waves with your friends and family. Before you can set sail, however, you will want to make sure that you have the proper documentation with Transport Canada, which, for many, means applying for a pleasure craft licence (PCL). By using our National Vessel Documentation Center forms and our pleasure craft electronic licensing system , you can apply for the licence you need with just a few clicks.
If you happen to be an avid boater, there aren’t many better places on Earth than Canada. Home to hundreds of thousands of lakes, as well as countless rivers and thousands of miles of ocean coastline, this humble northern country is an outdoors enthusiast’s paradise. If you have your own boat, there are endless possibilities and options for exploring Canada’s pristine waterways, but in order to do so, you will have some paperwork obligations to satisfy with Transport Canada. As the Nations’ primary transportation agency for matters of both land and sea, Transport Canada faces a tall challenge. This government agency crafts regulations, issues safety advisories, and maintains a registry of vessels operating on Canadian waters. Transport Canada is accountable to Parliament and the Canadian people, and they have a duty to help protect our waters for future generations of boaters to enjoy. By obtaining or renewing your pleasure craft licence or vessel registration, you are doing your part as a responsible boat owner. You can use our National Vessel Documentation Center forms to obtain a number of different forms of Transport Canada documentation. For the majority of boaters in Canada, a pleasure craft licence will suffice in terms of their paperwork obligations. As its name would suggest, a PCL applies to boats that are used for purely recreational or leisure purposes. More specifically, any boat featuring an engine of 7.5 kW (10 horsepower) or more will require a PCL. It should be noted, however, that any boat can apply for a PCL, even small kayaks or canoes, and many boaters find that having their vessel documented in some way can afford them peace of mind in the event that it goes missing or is stolen. To obtain your PCL, you will need to complete an application, which will call for some basic information about yourself, as well as your boat. You will also need to provide a full-size photograph of your vessel, along with proof of ownership, which is typically accomplished with a bill of sale. Once issued, your PCL will provide you with a registration number, which is an alphanumeric string of digits that must be displayed externally on both sides of your vessel’s bow. These digits must be in a color that clearly contrasts with your boat, and they should be at least three inches in height. A PCL is valid for a period of 10 years, at which point you will need to submit a renewal request to Transport Canada’s pleasure craft electronic licensing system .
While a PCL is sufficient for many boaters, others will need to file vessel registration forms with Transport Canada. To be more precise, any boat that is used for commercial purposes on Canadian waters will need to enter the national vessel registry. This is also true for boats that are financed via marine mortgages, and vessels that sail internationally under the Canadian flag. To complete your vessel registration forms , you will need to assemble a collection of documents. You will need to prepare a Form 1 - Application for Vessel Registration, a Form 3 - Statement of Qualification for Vessel Registration, and provide a tonnage measurement to Transport Canada. You will also want to include photographs of all four sides of your vessel. Once your registration has been issued, your boat will have a completely unique name (of your choosing) and an official number with Transport Canada.
Whether you need to apply for a pleasure craft licence or vessel registration, we can help. By using our easy-to-fill, streamlined web forms, you can apply for the Transport Canada documentation you need in just a matter of minutes. We also utilize an SSL-encrypted web portal, so you can rest easy knowing that your personal information is transmitted safely and securely. To learn more about our services and how we can help you, take a minute to explore our website, or visit our helpful Frequently Asked Questions page. You can also contact us by email or phone with any questions that you may have.
