Recreational boaters must renew licences every 5 years - Victoria Times Colonist

Recreational boaters must renew licences every 5 years - Victoria Times Colonist

Recreational boaters now have to renew licences every 5 years
Under the changes, which came into effect Dec. 31, 2025, new and renewed pleasure-craft licences are only valid for five years.

Darron Kloster
about 21 hours ago





Boats docked at the Oak Bay Marina. Under vessel licence changes, which came into effect Dec. 31, 2025, new and renewed pleasure-craft licences are only valid for five years. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST

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If you own a boat with a motor and use it for pleasure, the federal government says you now have to renew the vessel’s licence every five years.

The licence is the identification number of a boat, similar to a vehicle’s licence plate, and is required for owners of recreational boats with at least one engine and a total of at least 10 horsepower.

Under the changes, which came into effect Dec. 31, 2025, new and renewed pleasure-craft licences are only valid for five years, down from the previous 10 years.

Current lifetime licences will be gradually replaced with licences that must be renewed every five years.




Licence holders will also be required to update their information within 30 days of a change in their name or address, instead of the previous 90 days.

Transport Canada said licences allow emergency responders and law enforcement to quickly identify the owner of a boat, which improves response times in urgent situations and supports efforts to address unsafe or abandoned boats.



The $24 fee for issuing, renewing, transferring or replacing a pleasure craft licence will be updated annually for inflation.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Canada has more coastline than any other country in the world, and there are about 12 million boaters navigating various waterways around the country.

“Recreational boating is part of who we are as Canadians, and our safety system must keep pace with the way people use our waterways today,” he said in a statement. “By modernizing the pleasure craft licensing program, we’re strengthening marine safety, improving environmental protection and ensuring we have accurate information when it matters most.”

Transport Canada said two years after the regulations take effect, wind-powered pleasure craft over six metres in length will be required to hold a licence.

Since 1999, all Canadians who operate a boat must have a pleasure craft operating card by taking an accredited boat safety course and passing a test.
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