Important Changes to the Pleasure Craft Licensing Process

April 9, 2026

The Pleasure Craft License (PCL) 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.

Here are the key updates from Transport Canada you should be aware of:

  • all new, transferred and renewed Pleasure Craft Licenses are  valid for 5 years
  • licenses without an expiry date now have an expiry date
  • a $24.00 fee to apply for a new, renewed, transferred or duplicate Pleasure Craft License
  • you must update your license information within 30 days (there is no fee to update)

Click here for more information

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