Ready for renewal?

Boat safety

Check that your Boat Safety Scheme certificate (BSS) is still in date. If your BSC is also due for renewal, give yourself plenty of time to get it organised as Boat Safety examiners can get busy. Check if anything has changed so your boat passes the first time.

From 1 April 2019, you'll also need to have carbon monoxide alarms fitted. If you haven't got the right type and number of carbon monoxide alarms mounted in the correct position, you won't get a BSC.

Insurance

You must have a valid insurance policy in place at all times. Typically, insurance renewal falls close to boat licence renewal, as boaters must have insurance before purchasing their first boat licence. If your boat is an older craft, your insurance company may need a condition survey for continued comprehensive cover.

Get organised quickly as it can take quite a while to find a vacant dry dock or slipway slot and an available marine surveyor. Make sure your surveyor is a member of one of the recognised marine surveying institutes such as the International Institute of Marine Surveying or the Yacht Designers & Surveyors Association.

Same boat and same size?

Has anything about your boat changed since last year? Have you had an extension welded to the back of your boat to accommodate your bicycles? You'll need to declare a new boat length to include the extension.

Equally, if you've had your boat stretched, you need to declare a new boat length.

If you've changed boat altogether, you won't be able to renew the licence. You'll need to apply for a new one for your new boat.

Mooring

Is your mooring status the same as the last time you licensed your boat? If you've changed marina or mooring location, or if you've decided to start or stop continuously cruising, you need to let us know before we renew your boat licence. You can update your mooring status at any time by logging onto your online web licensing account.

Please see our FAQs on the recently announced changes to boat licensing.

Boat licence costs

You can spread the cost of your boat licence by paying by direct debit. If you're suffering from financial hardship, it's best to get in touch with your local licence support officer before your licence renewal is due rather than later; we may be to help and signpost you to support if appropriate. If your boat licence is paid by benefits, you'll need to approach your local council as early as possible to make sure you can get things arranged in time. To find out how much your licence will cost, use our online calculator.

Contact details

Are your contact details still the same as last year? If you've changed address, email or telephone number, let us know in good time or login to your account to update your details. It's particularly important we have the right email address, as this is normally how we'll contact you regarding our renewal notices.

Licence discs

You still need to display your licence discs as well as your boat index and name. If you need your boat licence discs posted to you because you don't have access to a printer, make sure you change your correspondence status with us to "Post" so that we put your licence discs in the mail for you.

If you've lost or misplaced your boat index plates, you can either order new ones from our online shop or download paper ones to print via your account in web licensing.

Remember, the fastest and easiest way to renew your boat licence is online.

We've also answered your most frequently asked questions .