F.A.Q.

A Joint Owner is Someone Who Owns a Vessel With Someone Else 
In the context of Canadian vessel documentation, a joint owner shares ownership of a vessel. 

Each Canadian vessel is divided into 64 shares. Joint owners own some of those 64 shares. Those shares cannot be broken down further, into fractions, etc. 
What to Keep In Mind About Joint Ownership 
For the sale or transfer of shares owned jointly, unanimous agreement from all owners is necessary. This agreement would be done through a single bill of sale. In a scenario where two co-owners wish to dispose of their jointly-owned shares, they must conduct a single transfer of ownership form and both should append their signatures on the same bill of sale. In the event of one joint owner's demise, their shares are automatically conveyed to the other surviving co-owner(s).
For More Questions Regarding Canadian Vessel Documentation 
If you wish to know more about Canadian boat documentation, we encourage you to view our site. Additionally, these following Canadian boat laws may be of value. 

If you are changing either the name, the hailing port, or the address of your vessel, you will have to submit the corresponding form to us via our website. If you need to change either the name or the hailing port, the same form will suffice. Be sure to only change the information you intend to change if you’re only modifying either piece of information and not the other.

All forms necessary to submit documentation to Transport Canada are available here on our platform for your convenience. All you need to do is fill out the forms you need, attach the relevant files, and pay the application fee. You can take care of all the documentation paperwork without leaving our website.

No, not at all. It used to be the case that applications for the Canadian Vessel Registry had to be physically mailed. However, we at the National Vessel Registry Center Corp have made it so that you can submit your application online via our secure platform. Just fill out the corresponding application form, attach the relevant documents, and pay for the processing fee. That’s how easy it is.

The registry has a boat history check database that can be accessed, but it’s not as easy as simply putting in a serial number on a query bar. You will need to submit a request for transcripts in order to receive the title information associated with this particular serial number. This includes all the relevant information about the vessel throughout current and previous ownerships, as well as potential debts, mortgages, and financial issues that may be attached to it.

A certification of documentation will be valid for three years from the date of registration. Thirty days before the expiration date, you will receive a notice for renewal that you will have to submit and update if necessary. Be sure to submit it with enough time for the renewal to be processed before the expiration date.

If you lost your certificate of documentation, then you will need to request an official replacement from Transport Canada. This is very important, since without an official copy of your registration, you can’t operate your vessel in Canadian waters. If you’d like to avoid this, use the replacement form here on our website to request your replacement. Within a few weeks, you should receive a new certificate that gets you on your way. However, if what you need to do is renew a certificate that has expired, then you won’t need a replacement but rather a renewal, which is a different process altogether.

No, there is no reason for you to send back the old certificate when renewing it. In fact, you shouldn’t do this, since you don’t want to be without an official certificate, even if it’s just for a few days. Simply submit the forms for your Transport Canada pleasure craft licence renewal or your vessel registration renewal with the corresponding material. Keep the original certificate at hand for future reference.

No, the schedule is very specific for renewal of vessel documentation. You need to submit the renewal form after you receive the notification with the corresponding paperwork. Remember you have to return this within thirty days ahead of the expiration date so that the process is in order prior to this.

Once you have your vessel registration, it will be time to mark it accordingly. The Canada Shipping Act of 2001 details that boats need to be labelled according to certain guidelines. You will have to mark the vessel with its name and port of registry on the exterior part of the hull in a way that makes both things easily visible and legible. In the case of commercial vessels, the name must be marked on each bow, and the port of registry and name must be marked on the stern. Remember that the information must always be clearly visible and permanently affixed in some manner.

Both the vessel name and its hailing port need to be properly displayed on the exterior part of the hull in order for it to be easily seen by both authorities and portuary employees. This is to ensure easy identification, documentation, and similar Transport Canada needs.

With certain vessels that were not purchased from a retailer but rather manufactured on commission or self-built by the registering entity, it will be necessary that, in lieu of a bill of sale, build evidence is provided to account for the vessel in question. A document from the manufacturer that states the details of the build order and purchase, the stats of the vessel, and other relevant information, will be key in the registration process.

Vessels here need specific Canadian vessel documentation in order to operate in national waters, similarly to how you need to have your car’s documents in order if you wish to drive it. However, not every vessel requires documentation. According to the regulations set forth by Transport Canada, commercial vessels need to be registered with them in order to be allowed to operate accordingly.

The short answer is yes, if used for one of the commercial purposes outlined above, as well as other eligible ones, your vessel must have official documentation for a Canadian vessel with Transport Canada documentation. However, if you have a recreational vessel, then it doesn’t necessarily need to be registered. Instead, you can get a pleasure craft licence, which is a different process altogether. The forms for either process can be found here on our website.

Net tonnage is a measure of a vessel’s volume, which should not be confused with the vessel’s weight, which may also be expressed in tons. While you should be able to access this data in the manufacturer’s information or through a gross tonnage calculator, you can also calculate an estimate yourself. A helpful rule of thumb is that most vessels that measure more than 25 feet in length will measure at least five net tons or more.

Exempt vessels, which aren’t required to get documentation, are those that are not used for commercial purposes. This applies to vessels of all sizes. A lot of people think that if a certain commercial vessel falls under a certain gross tonnage, then it doesn’t have to be registered. However, this isn’t quite right. There is a specific type of registration meant for small vessels, which you can find under the respective category here on the National Vessel Registry Center Corp website. If your vessel is used for leisure purposes, then it doesn’t have to be registered. In those cases, you can look instead into the pleasure craft licence process.

Yes, there are different types of documentation that are reliant on the specific type of vessel in question. For commercial vessels, you have regular vessel documentation and small vessel documentation, depending, of course, on the size of the boat in question. If the vessel is not used for commercial purposes, then you don’t have to register it but you might want to get the corresponding pleasure craft license. Our team can help you with either application.

The first requirement when it comes to registering a vessel is a name. Giving a vessel a name is something that might end up seeming trivial or even silly. However, the vessel’s name is for its standing before the government to be properly filed and documented under a definite entity. No two vessels, however, can have the same name, which is why part of the application process will be proving three different names in case one of them is taken.

Once you’ve got that covered, you will have to provide thorough information about the vessel itself, such as its measurements, tonnage, and engine specs. This step might seem like a lot of work given all the different highly specific information that you will need to provide, but it doesn’t have to be that complex. Most of these key pieces of information about the vessel will be factory specifications that you will most likely have easy access to. If you have questions about some of the data asked for in the registration form, you can contact your vessel’s manufacturer.

Establishing ownership of a vessel is not a difficult task, but it does call for some attention to detail in regards to getting the right documents in order. You can either establish ownership with the bill of sale made to your name or, in the case of custom-made vessels, a letter from the manufacturer. Either one of these should be enough to prove ownership when submitting registration to Transport Canada.

Citizenship is established by verifying the applicant’s national identification. This applies to individuals, but also to corporations, partnerships, and other entities capable of holding legal title may be deemed citizens for documentation purposes. Corporations must be registered in a province or Canada in order for their vessels to be registered here.