When you buy a boat of your own, you are potentially unlocking hours of enjoyment with your friends and family. There are few better feelings of freedom than cruising the waves with the wind at your back and the sun on your face. When it comes to places to boat, also, it is hard to beat what Canada has to offer. Home to hundreds of thousands of lakes and vast, expansive coastlines, you will never run out of places to take your boat in Canada. Of course, buying a boat is typically no small investment. New and used vessels alike are often expensive, and you will also need to think about maintenance costs and docking fees as well. Once you have completed the purchase of your boat, though, you are nearly ready to do with it as you please. There may be some paperwork to get in order first, however, and you may need a Canada boat registration. The good news is, by working with a private service such as ours at the National Vessel Registry Center, you can take care of this process online.
Paperwork is often an inescapable part of life. Just as you have to document your motor vehicle and obtain a driver’s license, there are similar tasks to complete when it comes to boat ownership. For example, for certain motorized boats, you will need a boating license, which is officially called a pleasure craft operator card (PCOC). You can obtain this documentation by completing an educational course and passing Transport Canada’s subsequent exam. Your boat may also require a vessel registration or a pleasure craft license (PCL). The mode of documentation that your boat will require largely comes down to what it will be used for. Read on to learn more.
Who Requires a Transport Canada Boat Registration?
In Canada, if a boat is used purely for recreational purposes, and it has an engine of 10 horsepower or more (7.5 kW), it will likely need a PCL. A boat registration is a different story. If you plan to travel internationally under the Canadian flag, or if your boat is financed with a loan, you will need to enter the Small Vessel Registry. This will also be a requirement if you plan to use your boat for any sort of commercial purpose.
To get your vessel registration, you will need to fill out a Form 1 – Application for Vessel Registration and a Form 3 – Statement of Qualification for Vessel Registration. You will also need to provide a tonnage measurement, bill of sale, and photographs of your vessel to Transport Canada.
We Can Help You Apply Online
Instead of filling out a bunch of forms by hand, why not work with us? At the National Vessel Registry Center, we have online forms for all your Transport Canada documentation needs. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, head on over to our Frequently Asked Questions page, or spend a few minutes browsing our website.
