When it comes to registering your vessel, you want to get it done. You don’t want the process to drag on, you want to get what you need promptly. We understand that. Indeed, that’s a major part of why we built the National Vessel Registry Center Corp. This site is for those who want to get all of the documentation they need without the wait or the worry. Below, we’ll cover how to register a boat in Alberta or anywhere else in Canada, regardless of what that boat is.
Simple Process for Registering a Vessel
If you have a vessel that isn’t a “Pleasure Craft” and has an engine of more than 7.5 kilowatts (the equivalent of ten horsepower) then you have to register your vessel. We’ve designed our site to make that as easy as possible. This means that you just have to go to our site, click “First Time Registration,” and then fill out only the blanks that are marked. As our site is “mobile-optimized,” you can do this from anywhere with an internet connection. Find yourself with ten to fifteen minutes you didn’t think you’d have? You can complete your documentation then and use the rest of your time as you would like.
What to Do if You Have Pleasure Craft and How You Can Tell
You might have read the above paragraph and thought: “I’m not sure if my vessel is a ‘pleasure craft’ or not.” Going beyond the technical jargon, a good way to tell is to ask yourself: “what do I use my vessel for?” Do you use it to make money? Or, do you use it to have fun? If it’s the latter, then it is, quite literally, a pleasure craft. That’s true even if a friend or family member gives you gas money for a boat ride or something. If you have a pleasure craft, then you want to go through the “Pleasure Craft Licensing” part of our site. Registration has different benefits than licensing does, so it really does pay to know which fits your exact situation.
How to Register a Boat in Alberta or All Over Canada That’s a Small Vessel
“Do I have to register my non-pleasure vessel even if it’s not all that big” is a question we’ve been asked multiple times? The truth is that yes, you do. That’s what the “Small Vessel Registry” is for. Vessels that are less than 15 gross tonnes (but are still non-pleasure vessels) can be registered in this fashion, provided they have an engine that’s more than ten horsepower/7.5 kW. Should your engine be smaller than that, then you don’t have to register the vessel. While the process to fill out these forms is easy at our site, it isn’t always easy to know which registration or licensing is right for your vessel. If you have any questions about this or really anything else about Canadian vessel registration, email us or call (800) 419-9569.
