Get your Pleasure Craft Operator Card with the Official Transport Canada-approved boating safety course. One-time fee for a lifetime boat license in Canada.
3 Easy Steps to Get Your Boating License
Study the online course
Pass the online exam
Print your temp card
Group and family discounts for the personal watercraft license
You will receive an email with a discount code you will distribute to each member of your group. They will need to register for the course with their emails and upon payment, each member must enter his/her personal code to get the discount.
Pleasure Craft Operator Card, approved by Transport Canada
As of September 15, 2009, all operators of all ages must have their Pleasure Craft Operator Card (boating license) to operate any type of pleasure craft equipped with a motor (even electric motor), including personal watercrafts.
Your Pleasure Craft Operator Card is good for life. Furthermore, there are no renewal fees and no annual fees. It will only need to be replaced for a fee if lost or damaged.
There is no age exemption; the law applies to all operators, regardless of age.
Age restrictions are imposed on the horsepower (hp) (or kilowatt (kW)) capacity of the motor of the boat.
- Youth under the age of 12 with no direct supervision may only operate a boat with a motor of up to 10 hp/7.5 kW
- Youth aged 12–15 with no direct supervision may only operate a boat with a motor of up to 40 hp/30 kW
- Youth under the age of 16, regardless of supervision, may not operate a personal watercraft (PWC)
These restrictions do not apply in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
The fine for not having the required proof of competency (Pleasure Craft Operator Card) while operating a motorboat or personal watercraft is $250 (does not include administrative fees).
A Pleasure Craft Operator Card is good for life.
If you need to replace a lost or damaged Pleasure Craft Operator Card, you will need to contact the course provider who issued it.
Transport Canada can help you if:
- You don’t know the name of your original course provider
- The course provider is no longer in business
- The course provider is suspended
Simply call the Boating Safety Infoline at 1-800-267-6687.
An agent will look up your name in a national database of card holders and tell you what you need to do next.
Yes. The Competency of Operators of Pleasure Craft Regulations apply to all pleasure craft fitted with a motor.
Canadian Pleasure Craft Operator Cards (PCOCs) are officially recognized by the US government as valid and equivalent to their own Boating Safety Education Certificates. As a result, Canadian boaters who have passed the Transport Canada-approved boating exam and obtained a PCOC are permitted to operate a vessel in the US without the need for any further certification.
For more information on boating legally in the United States, visit Drive a Boat USA.
Take the Canadian boater safety course and get your boating license for $49.95
Study at your own pace. The online boating course and exam are accessible on all devices.
