CHECK OUT OUR FAQ

We are a small Canadian based company heavily involved in Canada’s marine industry for many years. In 2020, after getting many inquiries from clients about vessel registration and licensing of vessels, we launched this website to assist Canadian boat owners with registration and licensing of vessels. We are not Transport Canada. However, we work closely with Transport Canada in helping you with all your boating registration and licensing needs. We simply the process as much as possible. All you have to do is reach out to us or fill out the necessary form on our website and we will take care of the rest. This way, you tell us what you need done and we go to work on your behalf, always producing results efficiently and promptly.

The Canadian Register of Vessels is a title system for vessel ownership operated by Transport Canada. This means the record in Transport Canada’s register can be used to show ownership of the vessel. Generally, you have to register a vessel if you want a reserve a unique name for your yacht, if you intend to mortgage the yacht or if the vessel will travel outside Canada. Many boater choose to register their yacht and fly the Canadian flag on board even if they do not strictly have to have the vessel registered. The alternative to registration is vessel licensing, on which see the next section.

Unless your vessel is registered in the Canadian Register of Vessels, all boats with a motor of 10 horsepower or more must be licensed with Transport Canada. Failure to have an up-to-date license reflecting accurate information about your yacht and the owner is subject to a fine. A license is a number unique to your vessel which can be used by law enforcement in case of an emergency. Typically, vessel licence numbers begin with two letters signifying the province and several numbers following the letters, such as ON123456 or BC654321. It is important to know that there are different marking requirements for registered and licensed boats.

Importing a vessel to Canada can be a complicated procedure, but also may have it rewards. Ideally, you should have someone experienced guiding you through the process. Keep in mind that when you bring the vessel to Canada you will have to pay GST as well as other taxes which depend on your province of residence. Duties are payable on some vessels brought from overseas. Whether import duties apply depends on the country in which the yacht was manufactured, not where it is currently flagged. Most boats built in the United States can be imported duty-free (but not tax-free) and boats built in Europe and imported directly into Canada can generally be imported duty-free. We would be happy to consult you through the process or fully handle the importing of your yacht to Canada.

We continue to assist Canadian boaters with vessel registration and licensing, but we also help clients with all their marine needs. We can prepare your initial documentation, such as custom tailored vessel purchase and sale agreements, vessel management agreements and other contracts. We can handle the purchase of your vessel and its importation into Canada. We also assist clients with crewing, chartering and supplying their vessels. Please call us and let us know how we can help and we will provide you with a personalized quote.

We love getting to know our clients in person which has been made impossible by COVID-19. For now you can call us on 1-833-979-3524 during business hours or email us at info@vesselregistration.ca any time and we will respond to you within 24 hours.