If you are a resident of British Columbia (BC), Canada, and you do not already own a boat, what are you waiting for? Let’s face it: you already know that BC is home to some of the most picturesque waterways in the country, whether it is the ample Pacific Ocean coastline or one of the 20,000 or so lakes within the border of the province. If you are looking to truly make the most of the great outdoors, boating is an obvious solution. It is worth noting, though, that buying a boat can be a significant financial undertaking. Not only are sticker prices on brand-new boats exorbitantly high but there are also maintenance and docking costs to factor in. For this reason, it makes a lot of sense to explore the new and secondary markets when buying a boat, as great deals are out there to be had. After you have done all the necessary research and zeroed in on the boat for you, you will want to work with the seller to negotiate a fair price. Once you have possession of your new boat, you will no doubt be ready to make waves, but you might need to apply for a BC pleasure craft license (PCL) first, and that is where we can help.
Make no mistake about it, Canada is a boater’s paradise. Our hundreds of thousands of lakes make our country a truly special place to live. As citizens, we also must do what we can to preserve our waterways. One way in which you can do this as a boat owner is to stay current on all of your Transport Canada documentation, which typically means applying for a PCL or vessel registration. Transport Canada, which is headquartered in Ottawa with thousands of employees, is the agency charged with protecting the infrastructure of our waterways. As such, it makes sense that they would want to know who and what is accessing our waters. While paperwork is never fun to fill out, working with a private service such as ours at the National Vessel Registry Center can allow you to process your forms online with just a few easy clicks.
Requirements for a BC Pleasure Craft License
Before you apply for your PCL, you should probably first verify that it is in fact what your boat requires. In Canada, any leisure craft with an engine of 7.5 kW (10 horsepower) or more must carry a PCL. A PCL assigns your boat its registration number, which must be displayed on both exterior sides of your boat’s bow in characters of at least three inches in height. Your registration number should be positioned well above the waterline, and you will want to make sure it is shown in a color that contrasts with your boat.
Applying for Your Forms Online
If you need a PCL or vessel registration for your boat, we have the online forms that you need. To learn a bit more about our services, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, or spend a minute or two exploring our navigation menu.
