Dealer's Guide to Pleasure Craft Licensing

Act: Canada Shipping Act 2001
Regulation: Small Vessel Regulations, CRC, Vol. XVII, c. 1487 

To Whom Does This Apply?

Pleasure craft dealers in Canada.

Summary

As a dealer, you may want to consider the following recommended options for licensing, which will allow you to process your licensing transactions in a fast and efficient way.

Service Canada recommends that you license every boat as soon as you take delivery of it. This practice allows you to apply for licences at your convenience, without having to rush when a boat is sold. It will also give you plenty of time to mark the boats properly.

Whenever you sell a boat, you will simply need to transfer the licence to the new owner. To do this, you will need:

• a completed Application for Pleasure Craft Licence (signed by the new owner);
• a completed third-party authorization letter;
• a signed photocopy of both sides of the new owner's identification (e.g., driver's licence); and
• a bill of sale showing the transfer of ownership.

Important note: To avoid any delays, make sure that you complete, sign, and date the documents correctly. Since Service Canada does not accept faxes from the general public, they will reject any submission they receive without a proper third-party authorization letter, unless they are issuing the Pleasure Craft Licence to a dealership.

Once you have all of the information listed above, you will need to submit it to Service Canada. You can submit your information in one of the following three ways:

In person at a Service Canada Centre: 

• Service Canada will issue a licence in the name of the new owner on the spot.

By fax - Service Canada will:

• fax a licence in the name of the new owner to the dealer within five business days;
• provide confirmation that a transfer has taken place when the pleasure craft is picked up and Service Canada will mail the "official" licence directly to the new owner within five business days.*

You must send all faxes to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre at 1-506-462-5322.

By mail - Service Canada will:

• mail a licence in the name of the new owner directly to the new owner within five business days.*

*Normal mailing delays are not included in this estimate.

As a dealer, you are not required to follow this recommendation. You can choose not to license boats in your name, and to only license a boat in the name of your client once you sell a boat.

However, due to the delays associated with the faxing and mailing options, you may not be able to mark the boat with the licence number before the client takes possession.

Service Canada will issue a licence on the spot to those who apply in person at a Service Canada Centre, allowing for plenty of time to mark the boat. However, it may not be practical for certain dealers to visit a Service Canada Centre each time a boat is sold.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.

Manitoba Contact(s):
Service Canada Centres
For a complete list of all Service Canada Centres, please visit the Web site or check the government listings in your telephone directory.
Web site: http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/regions/mb.shtml

National Contact(s):
Service Canada Centres
  
Toll-free (information): 1-800-277-9914