Find out the hows and whys of licensing your boat to use on the UK's waterways, or login to manage your boat licence online with our simple licence manager.
Why your boat needs a licence
Our precious 200 year old, 2,000 mile network of canals and rivers needs a lot of TLC to keep it in a condition for boaters and the public to continue using and enjoying. We rely on boaters for a significant amount of our funding to maintain the waterways, which we raise through licence and mooring fees.
Other waterways
The Environment Agency runs the River Thames, the River Medway, and the rivers of East Anglia.
The Broads Authority runs the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.
For Scottish waterways visit www.scottishcanals.co.uk.
Last date edited: 10 October 2018