You can buy your long-term licence at any time of the year. They start on the first day of the month and last for either three months, six months or 12 months.
Please note that you can only buy a three-month licence if you have a home mooring.
What types of long-term boat licences are there?
If you use your boat for business, such as a floating café, renting it out for people to live on or as a holiday boat, or a boat share where one owner has a majority share and/or manages everything for a fee or service charge, you need a boating business licence.
If your boat is purely for your own private use, there are two options, regardless of whether you have a home mooring or are continuously cruising.
Standard
Our standard canal and river licence covers all navigable routes within our network.
How much does a long-term private boat licence cost?
Your licence fee depends on the length and width (beam) of your boat, if you have a home mooring or continuously cruise, and the length of time you want the licence for – three months (home moorings only), six months or 12 months.
Fill in the details in our online calculator to find your licence price
Are there licence fee discounts?
Yes. If you renew your boat licence by paying in full before it expires, you can get a 2% prompt payment discount off your licence fee.
To qualify for the discount, you need to complete your application before the start date of the licence and also pay in full (which can include a single payment by direct debit). There is also a discount of 0.5% for renewing online.
All long-term licences allow you to keep and use your boat on our waters. You also get access to some boaters' facilities, such as water points. See our boaters' services pages for details.
What doesn't the licence include?
You don't get windlasses, keys or cards with your licence. You can buy these online. Windlasses are available from most local chandleries.
There may also be booking fees or service charges for things like passage on a specific date or time, such as on the Anderton Boat Lift or for pre-bookable moorings. Please see our booking portal for more details.
What do I need to do before I buy a long-term licence?
Before buying your long-term licence, there are a few things you need to do:
