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Pleasure Craft Licence
A pleasure craft licence is a document containing a unique licence number for a pleasure craft. The pleasure craft licence number must be displayed on the bow of a pleasure craft.You must display the licence number above the waterline on both sides of your pleasure craft in block characters that:
- are at least 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) high; and
- in a colour that contrasts with the colour of the bow.
The Small Vessel Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, require all pleasure craft powered by an engine 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) or more to have a pleasure craft licence, unless they have a vessel registration.
You must carry a copy of your Pleasure Craft Licence on board.
A Pleasure Craft Licence is different from a Vessel Registration. Visit the Vessel Registration Office's Frequently Asked Questions page for more information on registering your pleasure craft.
Pleasure craft licences are free and can be obtained by applying to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre.
Recent amendments to the Small Vessel Regulations have resulted in the following changes to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Process:
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Owners of licensed pleasure craft now have up to 90 days from the date of purchase to transfer a pleasure craft licence, during which time you may continue to operate your pleasure craft with the existing licence and a copy of the transfer documents on board. (Section 102 of the Small Vessel Regulations)
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Pleasure craft licences are valid for a period of 10 years. If there are changes to your name, address, or particulars of your pleasure craft during that period, you must update your licence by applying to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre. (Section 106 of the Small Vessel Regulations)
The Pleasure Craft Licensing system allows Search and Rescue personnel to access the information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the event of an emergency. This could mean the difference between life and death!
