Apply for a certificate of registration for an aircraft

From: Transport Canada

Before you can fly your aircraft, you must be qualified to register an aircraft in Canada, register the aircraft, carry the certificate of registration on board, and your aircraft must display a Canadian registration mark.

When you apply for a certificate of registration for an imported aircraft or an aircraft that doesn’t currently display a Canadian registration mark, you must also get a new registration mark. If you don’t apply to reserve a mark, a system generated one will be assigned when you register your aircraft.

If you apply to reserve an aircraft registration mark, you should wait until your reservation is confirmed before applying to register your aircraft.

Eligibility

Who can be the registered owner of a Canadian aircraft?

Registered owners can be:

Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are at least 16 years old
Canadian entities that are at least 75% owned and controlled by Canadians (exceptions apply for operators licensed under the Canada Transportation Act)
Canadian entities that are not Canadian owned and controlled (limitations apply)

Aircraft that don’t need to be registered

The following aircraft don’t need to be registered:

aircraft belonging to the military
rockets
hovercraft
wing-in-ground-effect machines
hang gliders
parachutes (except for powered parachutes)
small unoccupied balloons
drones that weigh less than 250 g
drones that are operated indoors, underground, or that are physically tethered

For more information on registering drones with a take-off weight of at least 250 g and up to 25 kg (small drones), see registering your drone.

Responsibilities of each registered owner

Each aircraft owner is responsible for all aspects of its registration, operation and maintenance.

Each owner:

must make sure the aircraft is operated and maintained according to the Canadian Aviation Regulations
may be held responsible if the aircraft’s operation violates the Canadian Aviation Regulations
must keep their certificate up to date if there are any changes to their personal information or to the aircraft’s identifying information

Certificate of registration (also known as a continuing certificate of registration)

A certificate of registration is not a title document. A certificate of registration is issued to the person(s) or entity(ies) with legal custody and control of an aircraft.

This certificate doesn’t expire but will need to be updated if there are any changes to personal information or to the aircraft’s identifying information.

How to apply

To apply for a certificate of registration:

Gather the documents you need to provide
Go to the application for Registration of an Aircraft (you will need to login or create a myTC Account)
Follow the prompts to complete and submit your application and payment

Fees and service standards

Actual processing times can vary depending on how complex and complete your request is.

Time is counted by working days and starts once we receive a complete application and all the required documents and fees.

Aircraft registration fee and service standard
Service	Fee	Service standard
Certificate of registration		For a domestic aircraft: 60 working days For an imported aircraft: 10 working days

Learn more about the Service Fees Act.

Documents you need to provide to register an aircraft in Canada

For any application you will need:

proof of identity
co-applicant consent (where applicable)
aircraft ID information
proof of custody and control
registration mark

Additional documents may be required in certain cases.

Document format requirements

Make sure you have electronic copies of the required documents before you start your application. All documents must be clear and easy to read. Files must be smaller than 10 MB in size and be PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, TIF, TIFF or PDF file types.

All documents must be in English or French. If the original documents are in any other language, you must provide a translation. Be sure to include a copy of the document in its original language, along with the translation.

Proof of identity

For any application, you will need proof of identity.

For an individual: a valid Canadian government-issued ID that proves name, age, and Canadian citizenship or permanent residency. Examples include:
- a provincial birth certificate
- the photo page of a Canadian passport
- the photo page of an Aviation Document Booklet, or
- a permanent resident card (front and back)
- A driver’s licence is not acceptable since it doesn’t show citizenship.

For an entity: a certificate of incorporation or formation and a document that gives signing authority to the person who is applying. Examples include:
- Resolutions of the Directors, or
- Corporate Annual Return

Co-applicant consent

If more than one person is applying, all applicants must complete a Civil Aviation Privacy Notice Acknowledgement to acknowledge Transport Canada's privacy statement as well as authorizing the primary applicant to receive correspondence on their behalf.

Aircraft information

Submit the following documents with your application:

a photo of the aircraft’s ID plate, clearly showing the:
- name of manufacturer
- model
- serial number
- type certificate number (if applicable)
proof of custody and control documents (for example, a bill of sale or lease)
registration mark:
- if the aircraft doesn’t have a Canadian registration mark and you haven’t reserved a mark, we will assign the next available mark
- if the aircraft already has a Canadian registration mark, have the mark available
- if you have reserved a mark, have your mark available (you must wait until your mark reservation is confirmed before applying to register your aircraft

Additional required documents

You will also need to submit the following documents for applications involving these certain cases:

Type certified aircraft – imported

Before you apply to register a type-certified aircraft, make sure your aircraft’s model has been issued a Canadian Type Certificate, or appears on the list of U.S. Eligible Aircraft and you have:

a letter or email from a Minister's Delegate - Maintenance (MD-M) or a Civil Aviation Safety Inspector - Airworthiness saying that the aircraft will be eligible for a flight authority

Also, the foreign Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should send Transport Canada proof that the aircraft is no longer registered or was never registered in the foreign country.

Amateur-built aircraft – new Canadian manufactured

Before you apply to register an amateur-built aircraft, make sure your aircraft meets the definition of amateur-built by consulting with Minister’s Delegates – Recreational Aviation (MD-RA) Inspection Service and you have:

Form C-16 Aircraft Eligibility for Registration provided by Minister’s Delegates – Recreational Aviation (MD-RA) Inspection Service

Amateur-built aircraft – imported

Before you apply to register an amateur-built aircraft, make sure you consult with Minister’s Delegates – Recreational Aviation (MD-RA) Inspection Service and you have:

Form C-16 Aircraft Eligibility for Registration provided by Minister’s Delegates – Recreational Aviation (MD-RA) Inspection Service

Also, the foreign Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should send Transport Canada proof that the aircraft is no longer registered or was never registered in the foreign country.

Basic ultra-light aeroplane – imported

Before you apply to register a basic ultra-light aeroplane, make sure your aircraft meets the definition of a basic ultra-light aeroplane.

The foreign Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should send Transport Canada proof that the aircraft is no longer registered or was never registered in the foreign country.

Advanced ultra-light aeroplane– new Canadian manufactured

Before you apply to register an advanced ultra-light aeroplane, make sure your aircraft is on the Listing of Models Eligible to be Registered as Advanced Ultra-Light Aeroplanes (AULA) and you have:

a statement of conformity provided and signed by the manufacturer

Advanced ultra-light aeroplane – previously registered to another Canadian