You’ve just bought a new boat, and all you want to do is get out on the water and start your next adventure! You’ll get to enjoy the sun and surf, and you might even make a little money making chartered trips or transporting goods. But before you sail off into the sunset, you’ll need to register your boat with the proper authorities.

Having proper boat registration is more than just a requirement – it’s a good investment in your boat. Read on to learn more about boat registration numbers and how you can get one for your new boat.

What Are Boat Registration Numbers?

Boat registration numbers are a method of identifying your boat, as well as proving you’ve registered it with the appropriate departments. Depending on the size and purpose of your boat, you may be required to register your boat with Transport Canada. Your registration number is a simple way to prove that you’ve filed the required documents and paid the appropriate fees.

In general, boat registration numbers start with two letters that show which province the boat is registered in. If you own a commercial boat, these letters may be replaced with a “C” instead. Most registration numbers will follow these letters with seven digits unique to your vessel.

Benefits of Boat Registration

Even if you are not required to register your boat, there are several benefits to doing so. For one thing, once your boat is registered with Transport Canada, you’ll have the right to fly the Canadian flag on board. This can be helpful for letting other vessels know where you hail from and maybe critical if you plan to do any international sailing.

Your registration number can also be helpful in identifying your boat in the event of a disaster. If your boat is destroyed, the registration number can prove that the demolished vessel belonged to you. And perhaps more importantly, if your boat gets stolen, the registration number can be important for identifying it so you can get it back.

Registration vs. Licensing

It’s important to note that you can get a boat registered or licensed in Canada, and those are not the same thing. In general, only pleasure crafts are licensed in Canada, which carries fewer legal ramifications than a registration number. A license number is simply a way to identify a boat and trace it back to its owner.

However, a registration number does more work to ensure a boat is following all legal guidelines for a craft of its size and type. Registration is a requirement for all commercial boats, though you can register a pleasure boat if you wish. Registration does come with a fee and usually requires more paperwork than licensing does.

Who Can Register a Boat?

There are a few requirements you’ll have to meet before you can register a boat in Canada. First and foremost, any Canadian citizen, born or naturalized, can register their boat with Transport Canada. Permanent residents protected by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act may also register a boat, even if they haven’t yet earned citizenship.

Corporations can also register boats in Canada under certain conditions. If the corporation is covered legally by national or provincial laws, they will be eligible for registration. If you’re a foreign company seeking to register a boat or boats in Canada, check with your legal department about which laws cover you.

Required Registrations

Although every boat must have a license in Canada, not every boat needs to have a registration number. However, there are a few situations in which you will need to register your boat with Transport Canada. First and foremost, any boat that’s not a pleasure craft will need to have a registration number.

You will also need to register your boat if it is not registered, licensed, listed, or otherwise recorded in any other foreign state or country. If you have a boat registered in Seattle and take it up to Canada for the summer, you won’t need to register it, even if you qualify for registration.

Voluntary Registrations

If you own a pleasure craft, you won’t have to register it in Canada, so long as you have a license. But you may discover that you want to get the benefits and additional legal protection, especially at international borders, that registration provides. In this case, you are always free to register your boat with Transport Canada voluntarily.

Boat Naming Requirements

Choosing a name for your boat is an important part of the process for any boat owner. But aside from picking the name that best represents your boat and the use to which it will be put, there are some legal requirements for choosing your boat name. Your boat must have a unique name that isn’t already on the Canadian registry for vessels.

When you get ready to submit your registration, it’s a good idea to pick three unique names that would work for your boat. Only one of these will get approved, but having three can help prevent delays later down the line. You can also file to reserve a name for up to twelve months while you get registration paperwork together to avoid someone else taking it.

Vessel Registry Fees

When you register your boat, you’ll need to pay a fee to cover the processing, as well as some safety programs Transport Canada offers. But how much you pay will depend on your specific situation. In most cases, if you’re registering a boat for the first time, you’ll pay $250.

If you have a vessel that’s already registered and you need to change its name, you’ll still need to pay $250. If you’re transferring ownership or changing the port of registry for your boat, it will only be $150. And if you’re reporting changes or alterations to a registered vessel, you’ll pay $100.

Applying for Registry

You’ll need to fill out and submit the Application for Registry from Transport Canada provides in order to register your boat. You can access this document in either English or French, and it will gather some basic information about your boat. You’ll need to check that you’ve paid your fee, and you’ll need to have your proposed names, as well as the port you intend to register your boat with.

The form will ask a few questions about your boat, including how it’s propelled, how long it is, and what sort of tonnage you have for it. You’ll need to know when and where your boat was built, who built it, and what they built it from. You’ll also need to document what you intend to use the boat for, as well as detailing who has ownership of the boat.

Getting a Statement of Qualification

In addition to the Application for Registry form, there are a few other documents you’ll need to include when you’re registering your boat. For one, you’ll need to submit a Statement of Qualification. This form effectively certifies that you meet the qualifications we discussed to register a boat in Canada.

You’ll need to include the name of your boat (if you don’t have one approved yet, use your first choice on the registry form here) with this form. You’ll also have to provide contact information and state whether you’re an individual, corporation, foreign corporation, or Indian Band. Finally, you’ll have to specify what your role in the ownership of the boat is.

Getting Evidence of Ownership

The Canadian government wants to make sure they aren’t registering any boats that are stolen or illegally sold. So as part of your registration process, you’ll need to provide evidence that you legally own your boat. In most cases, your boat’s title with your name and the signature of the previous owner on it should do the job.

If you won the boat in a statutory declaration, that declaration will serve as evidence of ownership. You can also use a will or divorce agreement that shows ownership of the boat passing to you. Court judgements and bills of sale will also do if you don’t have a title with details about the boat and both your and the previous owners’ signatures.

Having Your Boat Measured

The last thing you’ll need to submit with your registration application is a document stating your boat’s tonnage. There are two basic kinds of tonnage measurements: calculated and non-calculated.

Non-calculated tonnage, or Assigned Formal Tonnage, estimates your boat’s tonnage based on its length. If your boat is less than 8.5 meters, it has a tonnage of 4.99. If it’s between 8.5 and 10 meters, it has a tonnage of 9.99, and if it’s longer than 10 meters, it has a tonnage of 14.99.

In some cases, however, you may need a more formal or calculated tonnage for your boat. You can take your boat to an appointed Tonnage Measurer who can do the necessary measurements and calculations for you in these cases.

Changing Registration Information

In some cases, you may need to change the registration details for your boat. For instance, if you bought a boat that’s already registered, you’ll need to change the owner details. You’ll also need to report a change if you alter the boat in any significant way, including painting it with a different colour scheme.

If you make any of these changes to a boat you own, you’ll need to report them to Transport Canada within thirty days. You’ll have to pay the appropriate fee, as discussed above, and the government will send you a new certificate of registry. You’ll need to keep this new certificate on board the vessel at all times or risk losing your registration.

Updating Ownership

If you get ready to sell your registered boat, you’ll need to report that change to Transport Canada, too. Transport Canada deems it the seller’s responsibility to ensure the transfer of ownership takes place. Otherwise, you may be held responsible for any mishandling of that boat in the future.

When you ask for a transfer of ownership, you’ll need to include a copy of the sale bill with your signature on it. You’ll also need to include a Statement of Qualification. If there is more than one owner involved in the sale, or if the boat belongs to a foreign corporation, you’ll also need to include an Appointment of Authorized Representative form.

Renewing Your Registration

Once you register your boat, that registration will be valid for three years. Transport Canada will renew your registry after that time period unless they hear otherwise from you. You won’t have to pay any fees when your registration gets renewed.

Transport Canada will send you a new certificate of registry thirty days before your old one expires. You need to make sure your mailing address stays up to date, so you avoid this certificate getting lost in the mail. If you don’t get your certificate within two weeks of the old one expiring, reach out to Transport Canada for help.

Learn More About Boat Registration Numbers

Owning a boat can be a wonderful adventure, not to mention a great business investment, but you must make sure it’s registered properly. Ensure you submit all your forms within thirty days of getting a new boat and pick a few alternate names. Also, make sure your registry stays up to date, so you avoid losing your registration and having to pay your fees again.

If you’d like help getting boat registration numbers, check out the rest of our site at Westshore Marine and Leisure. We are the fastest-growing Polaris and Yamaha dealership in Manitoba, and our easy financing makes buying your next boat simple. Check out our in-stock inventory today and start your next adventure with us.