Apply for or manage a Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL)

Before you apply

You can apply for a licence if you:

  • own a pleasure craft
  • are an authorized third-party (such as a boat dealer)
  • need a dealer demonstration licence

Documents you need to provide

If we don’t receive the required documents, your application will be delayed. For privacy reasons, we destroy all copies of supporting documents.

When applying online, your documents must:

  • have a resolution of at least 300 DPI
  • be no bigger than 5 MB
  • be in PDF, JPG, TIFF or PNG format
  • be clear and legible

When applying by mail, your documents must be copies.

You’ll need to provide:

  • valid government issued ID
  • proof of ownership
  • a photo of the pleasure craft

In some cases, you’ll also need to provide:

  • a third-party authorization letter
  • authorization to submit for a business (legal entity)
  • proof of name change
  • a reason to cancel document

Valid government issued ID

You must provide a copy of valid signed government issued ID for all owners of the pleasure craft. You can enter two owner names when licensing a pleasure craft.

We accept:

  • provincial/territorial birth certificates
  • certificates of Canadian citizenship
  • valid Canadian passports
  • provincial/territorial driver’s licences
  • other forms of government issued ID (preferably with a photo)
  • government issued ID from your own country if you’re a resident of another country

We don’t accept provincial or territorial health cards.

Proof of ownership

To show proof of ownership, we need documents that include the:

  • name, address and signature of the person who sold you the pleasure craft
  • name and signature of the new owner
  • description of the pleasure craft (make, model, colour)
  • hull serial number (HIN) (if available)
  • Pleasure Craft Licence number (if already licensed)

Documents that we consider to be valid proof of ownership (depending on the type of application) include:

  • bills of sale
  • wills and bequests
  • separation or divorce agreements
  • court judgments
  • signed agreements of transfer of ownership (sale/purchase agreement)
  • declarations under oath

You’ll need to provide a declaration under oath as proof of ownership if:

  • you don’t have other proof of ownership
  • you built your own boat

Declaration under oath

You can complete the declaration under oath using the sample Declaration Under Oath (PDF Version, 154 KB). You can also complete these declarations on another sworn document, if the document includes enough information to show that you’re legally entitled to license a specific pleasure craft.

The declaration should include the following information:

  • name and address of the new owner(s)
  • licence number of the pleasure craft (if applicable)
  • make and model of the pleasure craft
  • hull serial number (HIN)
  • hull material and colour
  • propulsion type
  • name of the person who sold you the pleasure craft (if known)
  • explanation of why you can’t provide proof of ownership or other documents
    • for an unlicensed pleasure craft: a statement that, to the best of your knowledge, the pleasure craft was not previously licensed
  • date the original licence was issued (if applicable)
  • your signature(s) as the new owner(s)
  • printed name and signature of a lawyer, notary, Justice of the Peace, or Commissioner of Oaths

Your declaration under oath must be signed by a lawyer, notary, Justice of the Peace, Commissioner of Oaths, or another person who can legally sign such documents in Canada. You may have to pay a fee to get the signature for this document.

If you’re an Indigenous person and can’t provide a bill of sale, you can use a letter from a community elder that confirms you own the craft instead of a declaration under oath.

Photo of the pleasure craft

You must provide a current photo of your actual pleasure craft. We don’t accept stock images.

The image must be:

  • in colour
  • current
  • well-lit (no heavy shadows, no washed-out areas)
  • a full side view of the pleasure craft
  • clear (pleasure craft can’t be blocked by objects)

An example of an acceptable photo:

A clearly visible, well-lit in colour full side view of a boat.

Third-party authorization letter

To apply as a third-party, such as a dealer on behalf of the pleasure craft owner, we need:

  • a letter from the owner or a person with signing authority stating you have permission to act on their behalf and provide the documents required to license the pleasure craft

Authorization to submit for a business (legal entity)

For a pleasure craft owned by a business, we need:

Proof of name change

If you’re changing your name, we need a copy of one of these documents:

  • an adoption order
  • a divorce decree
  • a legal change of name document
  • a marriage certificate or marriage registration
  • a request to amend a record of landing or a confirmation of permanent residence

Reason to cancel document

To cancel a Pleasure Craft Licence, we need a note that includes:

  • the name and address of the owner(s)
  • the Pleasure Craft Licence number
  • why you’re cancelling the licence

If you sell your pleasure craft, don’t cancel the licence. A Pleasure Craft Licence number stays with a pleasure craft for its entire life.

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