Learn How to Look Up Your Boat History by Hull Number with Transport Canada

boat history by hull number

All the documentation and vessel information submitted to Transport Canada is stored within the Canadian Vessel Registry. If you need to access this information, you can look up the boat history by hull number. There are different ways to obtain vessel data, though, and we are here to guide you through them. In this article, you can find all the information you’ll need.

Looking Up Boat History by Hull Number

The boat registration system search is the official mechanism provided by Transport Canada that allows users to consult their comprehensive database of vessels. This allows a government agency to keep track of the vessels navigating national waters. By doing so, this will also allow citizens and boat owners to keep track of the documentation corresponding to their boat across different ownerships and registration periods. Whether you are looking to register your own vessel or to consult the database, we can easily guide you through the process. Let’s go over some of the different ways in which you can interact, consult, or request information from the vessel registration search and look up the boat history by hull number.

Consult the Hull Number’s Transport Canada Registry

If you need some quick information about a vessel that is registered with Transport Canada, the quickest way to access it will be through the query system. The vessel registration query system is available on the Transport Canada website. You will need to provide the official hull number under which the vessel is registered so that you’re able to get straightforward data about it. Don’t expect this to be very comprehensive, though, because it won’t be. However, if what you’re looking for is more specific information that includes different ownerships, you’ll have to request a document from Transport Canada. This is called a transcript.

Receive a Documentation Transcript

If you need to cross check information, consult previous ownership documents, or provide proof of the vessel’s financial standing, you can always submit a request for a transcript. This will be a comprehensive history of the documentation associated with the vessel in question, be it related to its different ownerships, its finances, or its history. In order to request this document, you can simply submit the corresponding transcript form here on our website. In only a few weeks, you will be receiving a comprehensive history of this particular boat. Transcripts can be a great way to gain insight into a vessel’s history, all the registered information. 

boat history by hull number

Consult the Canadian Vessel Registry

The National Vessel Documentation Center is your one-stop shop for all your vessel documentation needs here in Canada. Whether you need to register a commercial vessel, licence a pleasure craft, or update existing documents, you will find all the corresponding forms and applications here on our site, as well as a platform with which to submit them to Transport Canada. Should you need help with this at any point, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by way of our contact hub. Our team is ready to assist you with anything you might need.