27/01/2026
I know you have been sitting on the edge of your seats for this...read and weep..
Changes to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Process,
John Gullick, Past President, TSACBA
January 2, 2026
At past events I have talked about possible changes to the Pleasure Craft Licensing (PCL) process.
The Pleasure Craft License is the license for the vessel itself as usually noted by the series of letters
and numbers found on each side of the bow of a powered vessel of 7.5 kw (9.9 hp) or greater. It is
not to be confused with the Pleasure Craft Operator Certificate (PCOC) or other forms of operator
competency, required by all operators of powered vessels.
What are the changes to the PCL process?
Here are the key updates from Transport Canada you should be aware of:
• Expiry date: All new, transferred and renewed pleasure cra� licenses are valid for 5
years. Licenses that previously didn’t have an expiry date will now have one (see table below).
• Fee: A $24 fee will apply to new, renewed, transferred or replaced pleasure cra� licenses.
• Upda�ng your informa�on: You must now update your license informa�on within 30 days of it
changing (e.g., changes to name or phone number). Upda�ng your informa�on is free.
• Cancella�on of a PCL: The criteria for cancelling a license have expanded. A license must be
cancelled if the vessel is no longer seaworthy or for other specific reasons outlined by the
Minister of Transport.
• Wind-powered cra�: Star�ng December 31, 2027, wind-powered pleasure cra� over
6 metres long will need a pleasure cra� license. This will not apply to human-powered boats like
kayaks, canoes, or dragon boats.
Expiry date
You can check your license expiry date using your pleasure cra� license number. For
older licenses that didn’t have an expiry date, the following expiry dates will now apply:
Licence issue date Licence expiry date
December 31, 1974 or earlier March 31, 2026
January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1985 December 31, 2026
January 1, 1986 to December 31, 1995 December 31, 2027
January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1999 December 31, 2028
January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2005 December 31, 2029
January 1, 2006 to April 28, 2010 December 31, 2030
Fee
A $24 fee will be applied for new, renewed, transferred, or replaced pleasure cra� licenses. You will
not be charged to update personal informa�on like your address or phone number or to cancel your
license.
You don’t have to pay the $24 fee to licence your boat if you use your pleasure cra� to exercise your
Indigenous rights as recognized and affirmed under sec�on 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, such as
hun�ng, fishing, and trapping. You can make this declara�on by using the checkbox on the licence
applica�on form.
Upda�ng your informa�on
If your pleasure cra� does not have a valid license (including up to date informa�on) or is not registered,
you may be liable to a fine. Having accurate informa�on on file is essen�al for your safety. It
allows search and rescue to find you in case of emergency. As of January 6, 2