Transfer of ownership of a used boat in British Columbia Buying or Selling
I just bought a used motorboat in British Columbia. How do I transfer the licence to my name?
A recreational vessel that is subject to a transfer of ownership may be operated until the day the new owner receives the transferred license. The new owner has 90 days from the date of transfer of ownership. The new owner must ensure that he or she has a BC boating license in order to drive the boat. Documentation confirming the name and address of the new owner and the date of transfer of ownership must be on board the vessel.
To transfer a Canadian licensed pleasure craft to your name, you have two options in submitting your request - You can request a request for the transfer of the pleasure craft licence number online (electronically) through the Pleasure Craft Electronic Licensing System (PCELS), or you can submit your "Application for a Pleasure Craft Licence" form, by post.
By submitting the request for a new Pleasure Craft Licence through the Pleasure Craft Electronic Licensing System (PCELS), you will be required to upload supporting documentation. Please have the following documents in the proper file format ready for upload before starting the online process - click on the link for additional information.
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A copy of a signed valid piece of government-issued identification from each owner whose name is to appear on the pleasure craft licence
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A current full side-view colour photograph of the pleasure craft
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A " Third Party Authorization Letter" if applicable (cases where someone other than the owner(s) is submitting on behalf of the owner(s)).
Send in your application by mail
If you choose to send in your application by post, you must submit the following documents:
- A completed Form 84-0172E, Application for Pleasure Craft Licence (PDF Version, 1178 KB) *;
- Proof of ownership of the pleasure craft; and
- A signed photocopy of a valid piece of government-issued identification from each owner whose name is to appear on the pleasure craft licence;
- A current full side-view photograph of the pleasure craft.
- A Sample Third Party Authorization Letter (PDF Version, 8 KB) *, if applicable (cases where someone other than the owner(s) is submitting on behalf of the owner(s)).
Instructions on how to fill out the paper Form 84-0172E, Application for Pleasure Craft Licence, may be found on our How-to page. In particular, see the "To transfer a pleasure craft licence" section.
Whatever method you choose, if you do not have documents that prove you own the pleasure craft, you will need to make a declaration under oath stating why you cannot produce the bill of sale or proof of ownership. You can use the sample declaration form (PDF Version, 62 KB) * provided on this site or another similar document, as long as it contains all the information required.
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