Any person who wishes to be in charge of or navigate a pleasure boat/vessel for the purpose of letting it out for hire to members of the public, must obtain licences from us. This is true if they are operated on none navigable waters e.g. lakes.
Licences will not be issued to persons under 18 years of age. The application must be accompanied by a certificate of compliance with the British Waterways Standards (issued by an approved Marine Surveyor). The pleasure boat must comply with the relevant legislation which can be viewed on the
Office of Public Sector Information website.
Do I need to licence my pleasure boat if it is to be operated on navigable waters?
Yes, but not by us. If you want to use a boat or other craft on the UK's rivers and canals, you are required to; register, buy a licence, or pay a toll to the appropriate navigation authority for that waterway.
Almost all of Britain's waterways are run by three main organisations, each of which issues its own licences and registrations:
If you already know you need to pay for a British Waterways licence, an Environment Agency registration or a Broads Authority toll, you can now do this on the waterscape website.
Queries
If there are any queries on the licence, please contact us for advice.