How to Renew a Pleasure Craft Licence or Update Your Boat Licence Information in Canada

When do you have to renew a Pleasure Craft Licence?

Transport Canada now requires Pleasure Craft Licences to be renewed every five years. The expiry date of a renewed licence is five years from the date you renew it.

You cannot renew whenever you choose. Transport Canada allows renewal only during the three months before the licence expiry date. If you are unsure when your licence expires, you can use your licence number to check your Pleasure Craft Licence information online.

Older licences that were originally issued without an expiry date are also being moved into the five-year renewal system. Transport Canada has assigned expiry dates according to when those older licences were issued.

When must you update your boat licence information?

You must update your Pleasure Craft Licence information within 30 days if there is a change to any of the following:

• your name;
• your address;
• your phone number;
• your email address;
• your pleasure craft details.

Updating information is different from renewing the licence. An update does not change the existing expiry date. You will still need to renew the licence when that expiry date arrives.

Transport Canada's current Pleasure Craft Licence application instructions explain both the renewal and update routes.

How much does it cost to renew or update a Pleasure Craft Licence?

The federal fee for a Pleasure Craft Licence renewal is currently $24. There is no fee to update licence information.

The $24 fee is set in the federal Small Vessel Regulations for new licences, renewals, transfers and replacement licences. The regulations also provide for annual inflation adjustments on April 1, so applicants should confirm the amount shown by Transport Canada when they submit a future renewal.

An exemption from the service fee applies where an owner declares on the application that they can exercise a right recognized and affirmed under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and will operate the pleasure craft for the purpose of exercising such a right.

What documents do you need?

For a standard renewal or information update, Transport Canada requires a copy of valid government-issued identification for all owners.

Additional documents are required in some situations:

• If another person is submitting the application for the owner, include a third-party authorization letter.
• If the pleasure craft is owned by a business or other legal entity, provide authorization to submit a Pleasure Craft Licence application for that legal entity.
• If you are updating the owner's name, provide a document supporting the change of name.

Transport Canada states that online supporting documents must be clear and legible, have a resolution of at least 300 DPI, be no larger than 5 MB and use PDF, JPG, TIFF or PNG format. You can review the official document requirements before applying.

How do you renew or update a Pleasure Craft Licence online?

The online route is the simplest option for most owners because you can submit the application and supporting documents electronically and receive a temporary licence after submitting the application.

1. Confirm whether you are renewing because the licence is approaching expiry or updating information because something has changed.
2. If renewing, make sure you are within the three-month renewal window.
3. Prepare the identification and any additional supporting documents that apply.
4. Open the online Pleasure Craft Licensing service.
5. Select the appropriate option for an existing Pleasure Craft Licence and enter the requested information.
6. Upload the supporting documents.
7. If you are renewing, pay the applicable service fee using Visa or Mastercard. There is no fee for an information-only update.
8. Submit the application and keep the temporary licence sent to you by email.

The temporary licence is valid for 30 days. It allows you to operate the pleasure craft while Transport Canada processes the permanent licence.

Can you renew or update a Pleasure Craft Licence by mail?

Yes. Transport Canada also accepts applications by mail if you cannot apply online.

Complete the current Application for Pleasure Craft Licence, form 84-0172E, include copies of the required documents and send the package to:

Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre
PO Box 2006
Fredericton NB E3B 5G4

For a transaction that requires a fee, a mailed application can include Visa or Mastercard information in the payment section of the application form or a money order payable to Pleasure Craft Licensing. Transport Canada states that cheques are not accepted.

The paper application and instructions are available through Transport Canada's official forms service.

How long does a Pleasure Craft Licence renewal take?

Transport Canada's published service standard is to issue a renewed or updated Pleasure Craft Licence within five business days after receiving a complete application.

That service standard applies to a complete application. Missing documents can delay processing. For an online application, Transport Canada emails a temporary licence after submission. It remains valid for 30 days while the permanent document is being processed.

If Transport Canada asks for missing documents and they are not supplied, the application can eventually be rejected. The agency states that an online application is automatically rejected if the missing documents are not received within 90 days, while a mailed application is automatically rejected if they are not received within one year.

You can check the current fees and service standards before submitting your application.

What happens after Transport Canada processes the application?

Once Transport Canada has received the required documents and payment, where applicable, and processed the application, the Pleasure Craft Licence document is sent by email or mail depending on how you applied.

You must keep the Pleasure Craft Licence document on board. The licence number must also be displayed on both sides of the bow, above the waterline, using block characters at least 7.5 cm, or 3 inches, high in a colour that contrasts with the background.

Updating owner or boat details does not normally mean receiving a new licence number. A Pleasure Craft Licence number identifies the craft, and Transport Canada requires the licence information associated with that number to remain current.

Transport Canada's after-you-apply guidance explains document retention and boat marking requirements.

Is a Pleasure Craft Licence the same as a boating licence for the operator?

No. A Pleasure Craft Licence relates to the boat, while a Pleasure Craft Operator Card relates to the person operating a power-driven pleasure craft.

The Pleasure Craft Licence gives the vessel a unique identification number and is not proof of ownership. A Pleasure Craft Operator Card demonstrates that the operator has met Canada's recreational boating competency requirement. Renewing the vessel's Pleasure Craft Licence does not renew, replace or affect an operator card.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not try to renew more than three months before the licence expiry date.
• Do not wait until renewal time to report a changed address, phone number, email address, name or pleasure craft detail. Those changes must be reported within 30 days.
• Do not assume an information update extends the licence. The original expiry date remains unchanged.
• Include identification for every owner, not only the person completing the application.
• Include the required authorization if someone other than an owner submits the application.
• For an online application, make sure uploaded files meet Transport Canada's format, size, clarity and resolution requirements.
• Keep the temporary or permanent licence document on board after applying.

What if your old Pleasure Craft Licence has no expiry date printed on it?

Older Canadian Pleasure Craft Licences that were originally issued without an expiry date are being phased into the five-year renewal system. Transport Canada has assigned expiry dates according to the original issue date.

• Licences issued on or before December 31, 1974: March 31, 2026.
• Licences issued from January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1985: December 31, 2026.
• Licences issued from January 1, 1986 to December 31, 1995: December 31, 2027.
• Licences issued from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1999: December 31, 2028.
• Licences issued from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2005: December 31, 2029.
• Licences issued from January 1, 2006 to April 28, 2010: December 31, 2030.

If you have an older licence, use Transport Canada's Pleasure Craft Licence overview to confirm the applicable expiry rule before planning your renewal.