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Small Vessel Regulations Pertaining to Licensing of Pleasure Craft

The owner of a pleasure craft shall license the craft as described in the Small Vessel Regulations.

• All recreational vessels under 15 gross tons (12 meters or less) and powered by an engine 10 h.p. (7.5kw) or more must be licensed or registered, regardless of where they operate in Canada. The process is free of charge, but mandatory. Contact Service Canada at 1-800-622-6232 to obtain an application form or other information regarding your pleasure craft license.

The operator of a pleasure craft which requires a “Vessel License” shall mark the license number on the pleasure craft as described in the Small Vessel Regulations – Licensing of Vessels – Marking of Vessels.

• To identify your vessel properly, your license number must be displayed above the water line on both sides of the bow of your vessel. The number must be in block letters, 7.5cm in height that contrast with the colour of your boat’s bow.

• All vessels must be documented, especially dinghies or tenders that accompany a larger boat (remember dinghies or tenders equipped with an engine 10HP/7.5KW or more must be licensed separately). Lack of the correct documentation can result in delays clearing U.S.-Canada Customs and could result in a fine. Make sure all boats are properly marked and documented. It’s a good idea to keep your papers with the boat.

• When you transfer ownership of your vessel, sign the transfer form on the reverse side of the license and give it to the new owner. The new owner must complete it and send it to the nearest Service Canada Centre.

• Vessels of 15 gross tons or more must be registered, a different process than licensing. They carry a name, rather than a license number.

The Small Vessel Regulations Pertaining to Engine Power and Load Capacity Plate

The Capacity Plate is permanently attached to the pleasure craft and states the safe limits for the vessel in terms of “Recommended Gross Load Capacity” or the “Equivalent Number of Adult Persons”. The safe limits for the vessel include:

• Engine Power, which is the recommended outboard engine size.
• Number of persons on board
• Maximum total load in kilograms, which includes
• It also confirms that the vessel is built to Canadian Government Construction Standards.
• All new pleasure boats sold in Canada up to 6m in length and capable of being fitted with engine(s) of 7.5KW or more, are required to carry a Capacity Plate.
• Remember that these are maximums for fair weather operation. The number of people that can be carried safely depends on the type of boat, distribution of occupants, equipment carried and weather and water conditions. Each operator must know and respect the limitations of their vessel. Overloading is Dangerous!

The operator of a pleasure craft should know that the “Recommended Safe Limits of Engine Power” is the outboard engine size based on the recommended gross load capacity which is indicated on the capacity plate which, if fitted, is permanently attached to the pleasure craft.

The Conformity Plate or Decal is for all other motorized pleasure craft sold in Canada, which states that the vessel meets the Construction Standards issued by Canadian Coast Guard/Transport Canada.

The Single Vessel Plate is issued to homebuilt boats or those boats built by a builder no longer in business.

If you are buying, building or importing a boat, you are responsible for ensuring that your boat has a Capacity Conformity or Single Vessel Plate. Contact the office of Boating Safety for information on how to obtain a plate if you cannot obtain one from the builder.

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