Dealer's Guide to Pleasure Craft Licensing

This guide is for boat dealers who would like detailed information on the Pleasure Craft Licensing program.

• Improvements to pleasure craft licensing
• Forms
• Recommended best practices
• Frequently asked questions

Improvements to pleasure craft licensing

There are now more than 320 Service Canada Centres that issue pleasure craft licences. For the location nearest you, visit find a Service Canada Office or call 1 800 O‑Canada.

Dealers anywhere in Canada can fax licence transactions to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre at 506‑462‑5322.

In case of emergency, law enforcement and search and rescue agencies now have access to licence information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which significantly improves the safety of boaters.

Forms

To successfully complete most licensing transactions, you will need:

• a completed Form 84‑0172, Application for Pleasure Craft Licence, which is required for all transactions;
   

  NOTE: Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.
• a third party authorization letter (PDF version, 6.9 KB),* which is required if the person requesting the transaction is not the person whose name will appear on the licence; and
• a document showing proof of ownership (please note that a declaration under oath (PDF version, 623 KB)* is required if a document showing proof of ownership, such as a bill of sale, is not available).

*It is not mandatory to use the sample forms provided, as long as you provide all of the required information.

Recommended best practices

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

At Service Canada, we recommend 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 sufficient 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 Form 84‑0172, Application for Pleasure Craft Licence (signed by the new owner);
• a completed third-party authorization letter (PDF version, 6.9 KB) (mandatory when applying for a licence on behalf of a customer);
• 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 we do not accept faxes from the general public, we will reject any submission we receive without a proper third-party authorization letter, unless we 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 Office: We will issue a licence in the name of the new owner on the spot.
• By fax: We will fax a licence in the name of the new owner to the dealer within five business days. We do this as a courtesy to dealers so they can provide the new owner with confirmation that the transfer has taken place when the pleasure craft is picked up. We will mail the actual licence directly to the new owner within five business days.*
• By mail: We will mail a licence in the name of the new owner directly to the new owner within five business days.*

*This estimate does not cover normal mailing delays.

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 it.

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

We will issue a licence immediately to those who apply in person at a Service Canada Centre, allowing sufficient 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.

Frequently asked questions

I want to send my applications by fax. Do I fax them to my closest Service Canada Centre?

No. You must send all faxes to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre at 506‑462‑5322. Any faxes you send to a Service Canada Centre will be sent back with a note asking you to send it to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Centre.

Is Service Canada doing anything to address dealers specifically?

Yes. Service Canada is aware of the important role that dealers play in licensing pleasure craft and is eager to work with you to find ways to better serve your needs.

Can a dealer, marine surveyor, or bank access personal information to determine ownership or a lien?

A pleasure craft licence is not a title document, and does not establish ownership of a pleasure craft. Also, pleasure craft licensing information is personal information protected under the Privacy Act. Anyone wishing to access the information can apply through access-to-information and privacy legislation with Service Canada or Transport Canada.

Since April 1, 2006, pleasure craft licensing information has been available in an emergency to law enforcement and search and rescue officials 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This availability has increased search and rescue capabilities and improved the safety of licenced pleasure craft operators.

Can dealers go online to process an application?

Not at this time. Licensing services for dealers are available in person at the more than 320 Service Canada Centres, by fax, and by mail. The Government of Canada will consider future developments to the new licensing database after it consults with stakeholders and more thoroughly explores available technology.