Gold licences

If you regularly use both our waterways and those owned by the Environment Agency (EA), you can save money on your boat licence by having a combined gold licence.

Narrowboat moving along the Regent's Canal with the sun reflecting in the water

All gold licences run from 1 January and expire on 31 December.

If you have not previously held a gold licence, you may be eligible for a part-year licence. If you have previously held a gold licence, then your licence will start on 1 January.

Who is the gold licence suitable for?

Anyone that has a boat with a motor, including river boats and canal boats, and uses both our waterways and rivers owned by the Environmental Agency (EA).

Please note, this licence doesn't cover a tender. You'll need to register or license this separately with us and the EA individually.

Which waterways are covered by the gold licence?

All our canals and rivers, plus EA's:

River Thames
River Medway
River Nene
River Great Ouse System
River Ancholme
River Glen above Surfleet Sluice
River Welland above Spalding Lock
River Stour

Please check with the Environment Agency for all navigation information, maximum craft dimensions and availability for waterways listed above.

What are the gold licences fees for 2026?

If your boat is less than 3.5 metres (11'5") wide, the cost starts from £827.34, depending on its length. Continuous Cruisers incur a 10% surcharge.

If your home mooring is on the River Thames, you can get a quote for a wider boat by calling 0303 040 4040.

For vessels over 23.09 metres/75'9", prices are available on request.

Are there licence fee discounts?

Yes:

Our prompt payment discount is already deducted from the payment in full
25% discount is issued for boats solely powered by a permanently fitted inboard electric motor

If you have a historic boat and you want to claim the historic boat discount, call 0303 040 4040.

What does the gold licence include?

All gold licences allow you to keep and use your boat on our waters, and some of those owned by the EA. You also get access to some boaters' facilities, such as water points. See our boaters' services pages for details.

What doesn't the gold 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.

You need to get a separate key for the EA's Anglian Waterways (£15.00 per key). You can get this by calling the EA.

To contact the Environment Agency, call 03708 506 506, email [email protected] or visit their website.

How do I buy a gold licence?

You can apply for a gold licence by filling in the application form. The form explains what you'll need and how to pay. You can also apply over the phone.

Information for continuous cruisers

We will not consider any cruising carried out on EA waterways when we review your licence to ensure it meets our guidance. We will only consider cruising completed on Trust waterways.

We will review your cruising, pro rata, for the time you are sighted on our waterways. Please note that if you have been offered a 6 month licence due to non-compliance with movement rules you will not be able to purchase a gold licence. If you have been refused a further licence without first obtaining a home mooring you will not be able to purchase a gold licence without first obtaining a mooring.