If you are a vessel owner with a commercial boat, you need to register it with Transport Canada. However, if it’s a recreational vessel, you don’t necessarily have to register it, but you will certainly have to get a licence for it. Let’s take a closer look at what the process for an application for pleasure craft licence will look like and what you will be needing throughout. This way, you’ll be ready to submit the application yourself.
What is a Pleasure Craft Licence
So, first of all, what is a pleasure craft licence? This is the document that you should get if you have an eligible recreational vessel that you are not registering with Transport Canada. After all, only commercial vessels need to be registered. Owners of recreational ones can, instead, get a pleasure craft license. What did we mean by eligible vessels, though? If you have a pleasure craft equipped with motors of 10 horsepower (7.5 kilowatts) or more, even if it is a personal watercraft, that is maintained or operated in Canada, you will need to obtain the corresponding license. This is where you’ll need to go through the application for pleasure craft licence.
The Three Steps in the Process
As part of the process of the application for pleasure craft licence, there are three steps one will follow. These determine the different stages of the process in which the applicant will find themselves. Let’s take a closer look at what each step will look like.
- The Safety Test – The first thing you will need to do is to take the official Transport Canada exam, which is known as the Canada Boating Safety Test (TCBS Test for short). You will have two attempts to pass the test and, should you fail the first attempt, you will have to wait twenty-four hours before the second one.
- The Temporary License – Once you pass the Canada Boating Safety Test, you will be able to print the online course completion document, which can act as a temporary boating license in all Canadian provinces while you get the actual license.
- The Operator Card – Between two to three weeks, you will be receiving your pleasure craft operator card in the mail. This permit will be recognized in all Canadian provinces, so don’t worry about where you are setting sail to.
Submit the Application For Pleasure Craft Licence
Once you know what you need as part of the process, it will be time to actually submit the application for pleasure craft licence. You can do so directly and risk delays, or you can submit everything through our platform here at the National Vessel Registry Center Corp. We are always making sure that people have easier access to Transport Canada forms and applications, as well as the right venue through which to submit them. You’ll be able to find everything you need here on our website. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by calling +1 (800) 419-9569 or emailing us at info@canadianvesselregistry.ca.
