Do you have to register a boat in Alberta or is it a licensing situation? Let’s address these questions and guide you through the process of getting your boat documentation in order.
Do You Have to Register a Boat in Alberta?
So, if you have a boat here in Alberta, you might be wondering about the proper documentation you’ll need in order to operate it in Canadian waters. Now, the question of “do you have to register a boat in Alberta” has a couple of different answers depending on your specific situation. Here is what you need to know about what kind of documentation you need to get for your boat and how you can get it.
Do You Have a Commercial Boat?
You might initially think this includes any sort of boat that is somehow used in commercial contexts for profit. That is true, sure, but it is not the full extent of what Transport Canada’s definition of a “non-recreational boat” is. Despite some boats not operating with the intention of profit, they might be eligible for registration if their use isn’t exactly fully recreational. Here are some of the boat categories that need to be registered with Transport Canada.
- Commercial fishing boats
- Fish processing vessels
- Freight ships
- Industrial vessels
- Mobile offshore drilling units
- Oil recovery boats
- Offshore supply vessels
- Passenger boats
- Passenger barges
- Public freight vessels
- Public tankships/barges
- Public vessels
- Research vessels
- School ships
- Tank barges
- Tank ships
- Towing vessels
Do You Have a Recreational Boat?
Now, do you have to register a boat in Alberta if it’s solely used for recreational purposes? Recreational vessels, on the other hand, do not have to be registered with Transport Canada. Instead, you may or may not have to get a pleasure craft license for them. There are actually going to be very specific boating regulations set forth by Transport Canada for which ones do need the license in question. 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.
Register Your Boat With Transport Canada
Here at the National Vessel Registry Center, we are well aware that no one likes to go through extensive documentation and paperwork, which is why we’ve set off to make it all much easier for you. We have established our platform in order to provide everyone access to all the forms they might need in order to take care of their Transport Canada boat registration or pleasure craft license, as well as the corresponding documentation that might follow. Regardless of what you need to file with Transport Canada, all your vessel documentation needs can be met right here on our website. Additionally, you can feel free to reach out to our team should you have any doubts throughout the process.
