Vehicle & property
Declaration Under Oath for a Pleasure Craft Licence
Proof of ownership for a Pleasure Craft Licence when you have no bill of sale, or built the boat yourself. Prepare the declaration Transport Canada accepts, then declare it before a commissioner.
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Also known as
- Pleasure Craft Declaration Under Oath
- Boat Ownership Declaration
- Statutory Declaration of Boat Ownership
+1 more names
- PCL Proof of Ownership Declaration
The blanks fill themselves in as you type.
- Scope
- General template, not legal advice
- Formats
- PDF + editable Word downloads
- Builder
- Live preview as you type
Declaration Under Oath for a Pleasure Craft Licence
A compact preview of this template
01The owner(s)
Full legal name of each owner
Make
Who sold or gave you the boat
DECLARATION UNDER OATH
Proof of Ownership of a Pleasure Craft
I/We, ______, of ______, SOLEMNLY DECLARE that:
I am / We are the owner(s) of the pleasure craft described below (the "Pleasure Craft").
I/We acquired the Pleasure Craft from: ______.
I/We cannot provide a bill of sale or other proof of ownership because: ______.
I/We make this declaration to support an application to Transport Canada for a Pleasure Craft Licence in my/our name(s).
The Pleasure Craft
Make: ______ | Model: ______ |
Hull serial number (HIN): ______ | Pleasure Craft Licence number: |
Hull material: ______ | Hull colour: ______ |
Propulsion: ______ | Year built: |
I/We make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath.
Signed and sworn (or affirmed/declared) before me by videoconference in Ottawa, Ontario, while the Affiant(s)/Declarant(s) were located in ______________________, pursuant to O. Reg. 431/20, and Electronic Commerce Act, 2000.
Date: ______________________
______________________________ | ______________________________ |
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How it works
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Overview
About this document
- 01
When Transport Canada asks for a declaration under oath
To license a boat, or to transfer a licence into a new owner's name, Transport Canada needs proof of ownership. A bill of sale, a will, a separation or divorce agreement, a court judgment or a signed transfer agreement all work. A declaration under oath is the proof to use when you have none of these, or when you built the boat yourself.
A declaration explaining how you got the boat is also one of the documents Transport Canada asks for when you claim an abandoned boat. An Indigenous owner who cannot provide a bill of sale may instead use a letter from a community elder confirming the ownership.
- 02
What the declaration must include
Transport Canada lists what it expects to see. This template asks for each item:
- The name and address of each new owner.
- The Pleasure Craft Licence number, if the boat has one.
- The make and model, the hull serial number (HIN), the hull material and colour, and the propulsion type.
- The name of the person who sold you the boat, if you know it.
- Why you cannot provide proof of ownership.
- For a boat that was never licensed, a statement that to your knowledge it has not been licensed; otherwise, when the original licence was issued.
- Your signature, and the printed name and signature of the lawyer, notary, justice of the peace or commissioner of oaths who takes the declaration.
- 03
Applying for the Pleasure Craft Licence
A boat used for recreation needs a Pleasure Craft Licence if it has one or more engines totalling at least 10 horsepower (7.5 kW), even temporarily, and is mainly operated and kept in Canadian waters, unless it is registered instead. The licence identifies the boat; it is not proof of ownership.
Apply online to Transport Canada with the signed declaration, a copy of government-issued ID for every owner, and a current colour photo of the full side of the boat. Transport Canada emails a temporary licence that is valid for 30 days. If you bought a boat that is already licensed, transfer the licence within 30 days of the sale and before you operate the boat.
- 04
How to have the declaration commissioned in Ontario
Leave the PDF unsigned. Transport Canada requires the declaration to be signed in front of a lawyer, notary, justice of the peace or commissioner of oaths. A commissioner can take it online by secure video, under Ontario's remote commissioning rules (O. Reg. 431/20), or in person on a mobile visit where the notary comes to you anywhere in Ontario.
Every owner signs, and each brings valid government-issued photo identification.
Good to know
Before you fill it in.
Short notes on this template. Worth a minute before you start.
- 01
Prepared for use in Ontario. A general template, not legal advice.
- 02
Fill it in online for free and download a ready-to-sign PDF — no account required.
- 03
Sign in front of the commissioner, who takes your declaration and applies the seal.
- 04
Declare it online by video, or in person on a mobile visit anywhere in Ontario.
Frequently asked
Questions about the Declaration Under Oath for a Pleasure Craft Licence
- Who can sign a declaration under oath for a boat?
- You sign it in front of a lawyer, notary, justice of the peace or commissioner of oaths, or another person who can legally take declarations in Canada. In Ontario a commissioner can take it by video.
- Is a Pleasure Craft Licence proof of ownership?
- No. Transport Canada treats the licence like a licence plate: it identifies the boat but does not prove who owns it. That is why it asks for a bill of sale or a declaration under oath.
- Do I need a declaration if I have a bill of sale?
- No. A bill of sale is enough if it shows the seller's name, address and signature, your name and signature, the boat's make, model and colour, the hull serial number if there is one, and the licence number if the boat is licensed.
- Can I use a declaration for a boat I built myself?
- Yes. Transport Canada asks for a declaration under oath when you built your own boat. Explain that you built it and state that, to your knowledge, it has not been licensed before.
- How long do I have to transfer a boat licence after buying a boat?
- 30 days from the change of ownership, and you must transfer it before you operate the boat.
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