Boat Shipping - Import Regulations in Canada

Import Regulations in Canada

The easiest way to import a boat to Canada is to hire a broker, but an owner can do it himself. An importer has to do all paperwork: ownership, titles, licenses, ads, emails, invoices, cancelled checks. You must pay all loans, unpaid repairs, and services before shipping a boat to Canada. An importer should arrange a professional boat inspection to eliminate unpleasant surprises. It’s better to purchase insurance for a boat, which will cover the trailer and boat during transportation to Canada. Trailer licence exemptions may be enough to reach the Customs. After a vessel enters Canada an owner will be given extra time to obtain a licence.

An owner will need ownership and bills of sale for vessel, removable accessories and trailer, taxes and surveys. He will have to pay GST and possibly PST on the vessel, but only GST on the trailer. Federal duty is no longer charged on vessels produced in Canada, Mexico or the U.S. under NAFTA agreement; vessels made in other countries pay 5%-9,5% duty. The majority of marine safety equipment is duty-free. Import requirements are unified for importing a boat by water and by road. An owner pays a RIV fee on a trailer only if it's less than 15 years. If the trailer came from a "non-title" state, obtain a letter from the state or their website stating that fact.

After all Customs procedures an owner will need to obtain a federal inspection on the trailer at a Canadian Tire store, then buy a licence at a provincial Driver & Vehicle Licence Offices (some provinces charge PST on trailers). A Canadian who buys and keeps a boat in the U.S. cannot bring it into Canada - it is considered imported with all sequential fees and necessary documentation.

Boat Registration
In Canada a licence or registration of a boat must be obtained as soon as one purchase a boat (or import it). Licences are most common for pleasure vessels, and are valid for the life of the boat. The buyer of a used boat have to transfer the licence and pay provincial tax on the purchase price of the vessel. Separate bills of sale for trailers or removable accessories will simplify paying taxes and fees (and could economize money).

All pleasure vessels measuring 12 metres or less and powered by an engine 10 horsepower or more have to be licensed (registered). Licensing is the normal option for a pleasure vessels. Licensing and registration are differ in legal way, time for their obtainment and cost. A licensed vessel have to be marked with "licence numbers", a registered vessel with a "name and port", and both have to comply with specified size and location. License requirements are enumerated in the Small Vessel Regulations of the Canada Shipping Act.

Transport Canada is responsible for boat licences that is control by Service Canada through its 320 locations throughout the country, where an owner may license new boat or transfer licenced vessel ownerships at for free. It takes 10-15 minutes to process an application and issue a licence. All data is kept in electronical form. (The system is no longer operated by Canada Border Services Agency.) Transport Canada is also responsible for the Small Vessel Registry system.

If the owner plans to voyage to other countries, or just wants to secure the ownership, registration is a good variant, but it costs more and requires filling out forms.

Certain Canadian registration fees: initial application $250; changing name of boat $250; change of ownership $150; deletion from the registry $50.