Is it time to shake up how you spend your free time? By purchasing your own boat, you can potentially unlock a range of possibilities for how you can spend your summer weekends. Maybe you’re an avid fisherman and are looking to cast your lines wherever the fish are biting. Perhaps you just like water activities and making waves with your family? Or, you might be looking at setting up a charter operation with a vessel of your own. Well, regardless of how you wish to use your boat, there is no shortage of makes and models on the market. Just as there are a number of different vessels available, so too are there different licenses and documents issued by Transport Canada. In some circumstances–particularly if you are using your boat for commercial purposes–you may need to apply for a Transport Canada vessel registration. Fortunately, at the National Vessel Registry Center, we can help you apply for your documentation online by using our streamlined, fillable web forms.
During your time as a boat owner, you can expect to work with Transport Canada from time to time. As the country’s main transportation agency for all matters on both land and sea, Transport Canada plays an important role in protecting and regulating our waterways. Most commonly, boat owners will need to deal with Transport Canada when they are seeking a pleasure craft license (PCL) or vessel registration. While these documents may sound similar, they do serve different purposes. Read on to learn more.
Do I Need a Transport Canada Vessel Registration?
In Canada, the type of vessel documentation your boat requires largely comes down to what it will be used for. If your boat is purely for leisure activities, a simple PCL will often suffice. A PCL is required for any pleasure craft containing an engine of 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) or more. Boats that are financed with a marine mortgage, or will be traveling abroad under the Canadian flag will need to enter the Small Vessel Registry. This is also true for any boat that is used for commercial purposes on Canadian waters.
To register your boat, there are a few documents that you will need to complete. To be more precise, you will want to fill out Form 1 – Application for Vessel Registration, as well as Form 3 – Statement of Qualification for Vessel Registration. Additionally, you will need to submit a tonnage measurement and photographs of all four sides of your vessel to Transport Canada. While you can locate these forms on Transport Canada, download them, print them out, ink them by hand, and return them by mail, you can also work with us and complete them online. We have easy-to-fill web forms for all of your paperwork needs.
Register Your Boat Online
Spend less time on paperwork and more time on the water–work with us today! Take a moment or two to explore our website and see for yourself how easy it is to submit your documents online. You can also visit our helpful Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
