You have taken the plunge and bought that boat you were always dreaming about. After spending months looking through for sale advertisements online and locally, you finally saw one that was perfect for you and was available at the right price, and you closed the deal. Now that the boat legally belongs to you, before you start thinking about how you are going to use the ship and changes you might want to make, there will be paperwork that you need to take care of. In Canada, you have choices to make when it comes to your personal recreational vessel. You can either get a boat licence, or you can seek out boat registration on a federal level with Transport Canada.
A Licence for Your Boat
Getting a licence for your boat is relatively straightforward. Transport Canada is the government agency that oversees all the transportation documents and issues that go on in Canada. According to Canadian law, every pleasure craft must have a licence, with a few exceptions. If your vessel has a motor of less than ten horsepower, you did not need a licence. Also, if you opt for vessel registration, you do not have to seek out a licence. Barring those situations, there is paperwork that you must file with the agency so that they can issue you your licence number. You must carry your licence with you, and the number must be displayed on the side of your vessel.
Registration of Your Vessel
You may decide that you want to seek out boat registration instead of just getting a vessel licence. Registration is also handled by Transport Canada, and there are fees associated with federal registration. You will need to fill out paperwork, provide proof of citizenship and ownership of the vessel, and submit everything to Transport Canada for processing. You will also be required to post the name and port of registry of your ship on the outside of the boat while posting the official number and tonnage of the vessel on the interior.
How to Get Registration
Here at the National Vessel Registry Center Corp., we have worked to make getting boat registration in Canada as easy as it can be for people. Instead of trying to do everything through Transport Canada, you can come right to our website and let us help you. We have implemented a secure online processing system so you can fill out paperwork, submit supporting documents, and send everything to us to handle for you. We look at each submission for accuracy before sending it to Transport Canada for you for final processing and approval, smoothing the path for you. Come to our website today so you can get started with everything as quickly as possible. In just a few minutes, you can have forms filled out, and everything sent to us so we can work on getting your registration to you. With our help, you can spend more time in the water enjoying your new ship and less time fretting and fussing with paperwork.