Getting Started

• Construction Standards for Small Vessels
• Compliance Notices
• Hull Serial Number (HIN)
• Buying a Boat
• Building a Boat
• Pleasure Craft Licences
• Vessel Registration
• Operator Competency
• Take a Boating Safety Course
• Age-Horsepower Restrictions

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Do you want to start boating but you’re not sure what you need to do to get a boat ready for Canada’s waterways? This section will guide you through getting your boat out on the water for the first time and explain how to make sure that you are ready to operate it safely.

Construction Standards for Small Vessels 

Transport Canada’s Construction Standards for Small Vessels (construction standards) specify how small vessels that are equipped or designed to be equipped with a motor (including pleasure craft up to 24 m or 78’9”) and operate in Canada, must be built. If you are selling, importing, building, rebuilding or operating such a vessel in Canada, you must make sure it meets these construction standards.

Pleasure craft over 24 m (78’9”) must be built or rebuilt according to recommended practices and standards that are approved by a marine classification society, government agency or industry association recognized by the marine industry for that type of vessel.

Compliance Notices 

Pleasure craft that meet the construction standards should have a compliance notice. Only compliance notices issued according to Transport Canada’s Construction Standards for Small Vessels are valid in Canada.

Compliance notices for pleasure craft up to 6 m (19’8”) also have information on recommended maximum safe limits in good weather.

These recommended maximum safe limits will tell you:

• what outboard motor sizes are safe;
• how many people can be on board; and
• how much weight the boat can hold.

Remember that this information applies only in good weather. The number of people who can be carried safely depends on the type of boat, where people and equipment are carried, and weather and water conditions. Operators must know and respect their boat’s limits.

Hull Serial Number (HIN)

All pleasure craft made in Canada, or imported into Canada after August 1, 1981 (with or without a motor), must have a Hull Serial Number (HIN). No character of the HIN is to be less than 6 mm (¼”) in height and width. A HIN helps to find lost or stolen boats and boats that are subject to a recall. The HIN must be permanently marked on the outside upper starboard (right side) corner of the transom (the boat’s rear, flat end – above the waterline), or as close to that area as possible. The HIN is 12 digits long, beginning with the Manufacturer’s Identification Code (MIC).

Example: ABC2AB41G203

MIC: ABC; Hull Number: 2AB41; Construction Start Date: G2; Model Year: 03.

Buying a Boat 

If you are buying a new boat in Canada, make sure it has a Hull Serial Number (HIN). If the boat has a motor or is designed to have one, make sure it also has a Transport Canada compliance notice.

Manufacturers and importers must place a HIN and compliance notice (if needed) on every boat they sell in Canada after demonstrating that it meets the construction standards. If you see a new boat for sale that does not have the required HIN and compliance notice, ask the seller to get them for you before you buy.

If you are thinking about buying a used boat, the first thing you should do is make sure that it meets the construction standards. A good way to do this is to hire a competent marine surveyor to examine the boat, who will give you a fair opinion on the boat’s current condition and will let you know what changes (if any) need to be made to bring the boat up to standard.

Remember: A Transport Canada compliance notice means that the boat met the construction standards at the time it was built, so changes to the boat over time may mean that the compliance notice is no longer valid. Once you own the boat, you must make sure that it is up to standard www.boatingsafety.gc.ca when you operate it on the water - so get all the facts before you buy.

If you are buying a boat from another country, please remember that:

• Construction standards for pleasure craft differ from country to country. Make sure that the boat meets Transport Canada’s Construction Standards for Small Vessels or that you can modify the boat to meet these standards before you operate it.
• The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will ask you for specific documents as well as information on the boat and the seller to confirm the sale and assess the duties and taxes on the boat. Before buying the boat, visit the CBSA online at www.cbsa.gc.ca or contact them to find out what you will need from the seller to bring the boat to Canada.
• If you will be towing the boat on a trailer, you should know that a trailer is considered a motor vehicle, with requirements that are different from those that apply to your boat. Contact the CBSA to learn more.
• If you are buying a trailer, contact your provincial or territorial transportation office to learn about any requirements that may apply. For a complete list of these offices, please visit www.tc.gc.ca.
• Since there may be export requirements in the country where you plan to buy the boat (and the trailer if you are buying one), contact the appropriate authorities in that country well in advance to find out what they are.

Building a Boat 

If you decide to build or rebuild a pleasure craft, it must meet or exceed Transport Canada’s Construction Standards for Small Vessels. If the boat will be for your own personal use, you will not be required to get a compliance notice from Transport Canada. However, if you are building the boat to sell it, you must apply to Transport Canada for a Manufacturer’s Identification Code (MIC) so that you can place a compliance notice and a HIN on it. To get a copy of Transport Canada’s Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332E), please visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca or contact us.

Pleasure Craft Licences 

A Pleasure Craft Operator Card is sometimes called a licence to operate a boat. This is a mistake – the two are not the same.

A pleasure craft licence is the set of ID numbers displayed on your boat. You can get a free licence that is valid for 10 years from Service Canada. If your boat is already licensed, make sure that it is in your name and that your contact information is up to date. To learn more about getting or transferring a pleasure craft licence, visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca or contact Service Canada.

If your boat is mostly operated or kept in Canada and is powered by one or more motors adding up to 10 hp (7.5 kW) or more, it must be licensed, unless it is registered. You will also need to license dinghies or tenders you carry aboard or tow behind a larger boat. You must keep a copy of the licence on board.

By law, you must display your pleasure craft licence number above the waterline on both sides of the bow, as far forward as practical, and where it is easy to see. The numbers must be in block letters, at least 7.5 cm (3”) high, and must be in contrast with the colour of the background.

If your boat does not need a pleasure craft licence, you can choose to get one for safety reasons. The Pleasure Craft Licensing System allows Search and Rescue personnel to access information 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the event of an emergency. This could mean the difference between life and death!

Remember: A pleasure craft licence does not prove ownership and Transport Canada cannot confirm ownership of a licensed pleasure craft.

When entering another country, be sure to have proof of ownership for your boat along with its pleasure craft licence, especially for dinghies or tenders aboard or towed behind a larger boat. Not having the proper documents on board can result in delays or trouble clearing customs, or even a fine.

Vessel Registration 

Although you are no longer required to register pleasure craft over 15 gross tons, you can still choose to do so. Although there are costs involved, registration gives you some important benefits, which include:

• proof of ownership (legal title) for your boat;
• the right to fly the Canadian flag;
• a unique name and official number for your boat; and
• The right to use your boat as security for a marine mortgage.

Since proof of ownership can be very important at international borders, it is a good idea to register any boat you plan to operate outside of Canada.

To learn more about registering your boat, visit Transport Canada’s Vessel Registration Office online at www.tc.gc.ca or contact them.

Operator Competency 

Right now, you must have proof of competency on board if you were born after April 1, 1983, or if you are operating a motorized boat under 4 m (13’1”). This includes a personal watercraft. The operator competency requirements do not currently apply in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Proof of competency can take one of three different forms:

• a Pleasure Craft Operator Card;
• proof, such as a course certificate, that you have successfully completed a boating safety course in Canada before April 1, 1999; or
• a completed rental boat safety checklist.

The Pleasure Craft Operator Card is good for life. Remember to make a photocopy of your card as soon as you get it so it can be replaced if it is lost. To replace a lost card, contact the course provider that issued it. For a complete list of course providers, please visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.

If you can’t remember the name of the course provider that issued your card, ask yourself the following:

• If you took the test with a family member or friend, check with that person. The name of the course provider will be on their card.
• Did you keep a copy of your receipt or the letter that came in the mail with your card attached to it? The course provider’s name is included on both of these documents.

Note for Holders of Marine Safety Certificates

If you hold any certificate on the List of Marine Safety Certificates Recognized for the Issuance of a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, you are not required to have the proof of competency described above. You must simply make sure you carry proof of certification on board. Proof of certification could be the original document or a copy of the certificate. To consult the list, please visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.

Take a Boating Safety Course 

No matter your age or experience, you should take a boating safety course. Please visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca or contact us for a complete list of Transport Canada accredited course providers. Whether you are new to boating or you are an experienced pro, taking a course will prepare you for great times out on the water.

The course covers many important boating safety topics such as:

• rules and regulations that apply to pleasure craft;
• preparing for a trip;
• how to share waterways; and
• what to do in an emergency.

While not recommended, you may take the test for a Pleasure Craft Operator Card without taking a course.

To find a list of course providers that offer boating safety courses and tests, please visit www.boatingsafety.gc.ca or contact us.

Age-Horsepower Restrictions 

Youth under 16 years of age may not operate boats with motors over certain horsepower limits unless someone 16 years of age or older is in the boat and directly supervising them.

Youth under 16 may not operate a personal watercraft (PWC) under any circumstances.

Are you old enough to operate a motorized boat? Find out from the chart below.

Age	Horsepower Restrictions
Under 12 years of age with no direct supervision	May operate a boat with up to 10 hp(7.5 kW)
Ages 12 to 16 with no direct supervision	May operate a boat with up to 40 hp(30 kW)
Under 16 years of age, regardless of supervision	May not operate a PWC
16 years of age or older	No horsepower restrictions

These restrictions do not currently apply in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Remember that these restrictions are separate from the requirement for proof of competency and both must be followed. This means that youth under 16 require proof of competency to operate any motorized boat, supervised or not.

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