Who may register a vessel in Canada
A vessel registered in Canada may be owned by:
- Canadian citizens
- permanent residents of Canada
- Canadian corporations
- Canadian governments (provincial or federal)
- foreign corporations (with a Canadian authorized representative)
- Indigenous Bands
We do not register vessels to:
- foreign citizens
- partnerships
- trusts
Do I need to register my vessel?
Not all small commercial vessels have to be registered. If your small commercial vessel is exempt, you can still choose to register it voluntarily.
You are not required to register vessels that carry less than 12 passengers, and if it is a:
- commercial human-powered vessel, such as canoes and kayaks, or
- small sailing vessel less than 8.5 meters, or
- small power-driven vessel with motors less than 7.5 kW (10 horsepower).
You can find a full list of exemptions in the Vessel Registration and Tonnage Regulations, Subsection 1.1.
If you own and operate an exempt vessel, you must still comply with all construction , safety and pollution prevention requirements.
Operating an unregistered vessel could result in a fine. The penalty for operating an unregistered vessel is $250 to $10,000 per day.
Reporting a change
If any information in your certificate of registry changes, you must report the change within 30 days. This includes changes to:
- owner details
- authorized representative details
- vessel details
If a change isn't reported, your vessel's registration may be suspended or cancelled.
Meeting compliance and inspections requirements
Commercial vessels may be inspected by Transport Canada to make sure they comply with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its other regulations.
The Small Vessel Compliance Program (self-inspection blue and orange decal program) is available to help small vessel owners and operators understand and meet their legal obligations.
Contact the Transport Canada center in your region to obtain inspection certificates.