Registering used boat???

Ruff

Ruff

Active Member
This might be a stupid question but do i need to register my used boat once purchased? I have a bill of sale from the previous owner. The trailer and boat are both insured in my name. I know that once I register it, the tax man is going to want his 12% so can anyone give me a reason to call Transport Canada and let them know the boat changed hands?
Thanks
 
Like I said, maybe it was a stupid question....? Honestly didn't know the answer though. I've been boarded plenty of times by RCMP and Fisheries and have never been asked for my boats registration. My previous boat was registered but when boarded I was only ever asked about safety gear, fishing gear and any catch we had on board. Boat registration has never been out of the box.
Thanks for the heads up.
 
You can get away with not registering for a while but within a year or so they do catch up and will send you a notice for registration . On one of my boats they even sent a bill as to what they thought my boat was worth which was about twice its actual value . Just like a car they get there 12 %!every time it's sold Good deal for someone
 
I was moored at a gov't wharf for a bit this year. While performing maintenance, I noticed a fellow walking up and down the wharves jotting down registration numbers. I figured he was just checking on who had paid moorage fees, but he was also matching registration numbers to owners as on the moorage sheets you fill out when paying for moorage. I did not inquire further but I can speculate that they have access to the database.
 
When you decide to sell your boat (if and when) you can't legally sell it because your not the registered owner.You should register it anyways,the government will get their tax $ sooner or later.I personally hate that boats,cars etc. can be taxed over and over again on every sale,but I don't think the government will give up that cash cow any time soon,just like the "temporary"GST.
 
The government doesn't get it's tax money till the boat is registered. They have no way of knowing you own it yet, but legally the person on title owns the boat even if you paid for it and it's sitting in your driveway. Better to just pay the stupid tax so that if you are stopped or want to sell it's less hassle.
 
Rayvon said:
....I don't think the government will give up that cash cow any time soon,just like the "temporary"GST.
Click to expand...

...or the property transfer tax for that matter.:confused:
Just budget 88% for the boat and 12% for the taxman. That way, the shaft would feel a bit softer.
 
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Just sent off a check this morning for taxes on a boat I bought in Alberta 2 years ago and sold last June. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to pay both taxes seeing as Alberta doesn't have sales tax ,but nope,B.C sent me a bill saying any boat brought into B.C must pay both taxes.That's 3 boats in 3 years for me,I'm done.
 
Two times I’ve been asked for reg papers in a 14 foot tinny. Both times the cops were blown away I actually had them.

One of the checks the cop that was checking my stuff said “do you have registration papers for the boat?” When I produced them he yelled to his partner, “hey, this guy in this little boat has papers” then they both burst into heavy laughter. It seemed it was rare for people to have them.
 
Generally the Mounties don’t know squat about much. If they’re checking boats it is simply because they want a day out of the office. Their Marine Section of course is more dialled in but the GD dudes ‘generally’ don’t.

I suspect people who don’t license their boats may even run into issues should they need to file an insurance claim. Don’t know for sure. None of us want to pay the taxes, over and over and over but I’d rather pony up and have one less thing to worry about when out on the water :)
 
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Yeah - it would be tough to buy insurance on a boat of any value that you do not "legally" own.
 
I recently bought a used boat and went to register it online over the weekend. There is an option to "licence" your boat or "Register" your boat. According to the website, all pleasure crafts with an engine 10hp or more must be licensed in the new owners name. Essentially a transfer of ownership (which triggers the taxman down the road). Are we required to Register our boats as well?
 
Following from the the Canadian National Vessel Registry Centre:

"There are cases where you may want or need to get a registry certificate for your vessel instead, and this will help to spell out to you what is the difference between a licence and registration. With registration, you need to obtain registration if your vessel is used for commercial purposes or if you have a marine mortgage on the vessel. Also, there are fees associated with registering your vessel so that you can become part of the government registry. Registration also requires that your vessel bear exterior and interior markings to denote the name of the vessel, the port of registry, the registry number and the tonnage of your vessel."
 
Short answer is no. If you register your boat, you register it by name with the Federal Government, and you do not need to have licence it. All of those million dollar yachts are registered, most smaller boats are just licenced. I believe but am not sure that if you register your boat it can be commandeered by the gov't in times of need.
 
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