Petitions

STATUS: Open for Signature until April 30, 2026 at 11:59 (EST)  

Petition to the Government of Canada . We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada:

Whereas:

• A Pleasure Craft License (PCL) is a unique vessel ID required under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, to demonstrate compliance with regulations and support law enforcement and search-and-rescue authorities;
• For more than two decades, PCLs did not expire and were renewed only when ownership, key vessel or owner information changed;
• Transport Canada has not charged a service fee to issue, transfer, renew, or replace a PCL;
• The provinces of Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan have modernized vehicle licensing, eliminating validation stickers and, in Ontario’s case, license plate renewal fees to ease cost-of-living pressures;
• The Government of Canada amended Small Vessel Regulationson December 31, 2025, and announced PCL changes on January 6, 2026;
• These changes mandate five-year renewals and impose a $24 service fee, with future inflationary increases, on recreational boaters nationwide;
• Transport Canada estimates administrative costs at approximately $39 million, while service fees on recreational boaters will generate substantially greater revenue;
• The Prime Minister has stated the Government of Canada is focused on reducing cost-of-living pressures for Canadians;
• These amendments impose new, recurring costs on recreational boaters, contrary to provincial efforts to reduce administrative and financial burdens on the public;

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to repeal mandatory five-year renewals and service fees for Pleasure Craft Licences, and to maintain a licensing system that protects public safety without unnecessary financial burdens on recreational boaters.