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SELL A BOAT

Selling a Boat Privately in Ontario: What You Need

This page is the free Ontario guide. No sign-in. Read on, or take the checklist as a PDF.

What do I need to sell my boat in Ontario? The buyer's coming to see it Saturday, and the trailer's part of the deal. Here's exactly how to sell a boat in Ontario: which paperwork is federal, which is Ontario's, and who pays the tax.

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  1. 1

    Licence or registration? Know which boat you have

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    Boat paperwork is federal, Transport Canada's, not ServiceOntario's, and there are two different systems. A Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) is a unique ID number, like a licence plate: it is not proof of ownership. It's required if the boat has one or more motors totalling 10 hp (7.5 kW) or more, valid 5 years, and costs $24 to issue, renew, or transfer. Vessel Registration is a title system, optional for most pleasure craft, needed only to name the vessel or register a marine mortgage. Most private recreational boats in Ontario are licensed, not registered.

    Don't confuse either with the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC): that's your personal competency card to operate a boat, like a driver's licence. It has nothing to do with the boat's own licence or registration.

    Can I sell a boat without a title?

    Selling a boat in Ontario usually means selling a licensed pleasure craft, and a licensed pleasure craft has a licence, not a title. Pleasure craft in Canada generally don't have a car-style title; a licensed boat's PCL is not proof of ownership, and the bill of sale (and the chain of ownership it represents) is. Transport Canada accepts several forms of proof of ownership: bills of sale, wills or bequests, separation or divorce agreements, court judgments, and signed transfer agreements. If none of these exist, for example, a home-built boat, a Declaration Under Oath, sworn before a lawyer, notary, or Commissioner of Oaths, can establish ownership instead. Only registered vessels have a formal title: the Certificate of Registry.

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  2. 2

    The best way to sell a boat in Ontario, step by step

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    1. 1

      Sign a bill of sale

      This is the real ownership document for a licensed boat. Include both parties’ names and signatures, the boat’s make, model, year, colour, and length, the HIN (Hull Identification Number), the PCL number if the boat is licensed, the price, and the date.

    2. 2

      Seller: do not cancel the Pleasure Craft Licence

      The PCL number stays with the boat for its entire life. Cancelling it doesn’t transfer anything: it just leaves the boat unlicensed.

    3. 3

      Buyer transfers the PCL within 30 days

      Before operating the boat, the buyer applies through Transport Canada’s online PCELS system with government ID for all owners, the bill of sale as proof of ownership, a current photo of the boat, and the $24 fee. Transport Canada emails a temporary 30-day licence with the same number right away. Lost or never got a bill of sale? A declaration under oath can establish ownership instead: Transport Canada provides a sample declaration form on its proof-of-ownership page.

    4. 4

      Buyer pays Ontario RST

      Ontario charges 13% RST on a privately purchased boat and trailer (treated as “specified vehicles”), on the purchase price or fair market value. Boats aren’t registered at ServiceOntario, so the buyer pays the RST directly at a ServiceOntario Centre or to the Ministry of Finance with the bill of sale, and Ontario cross-checks Transport Canada records to confirm it was paid.

    5. 5

      Transfer the trailer separately

      The trailer is a provincially registered vehicle, not part of Transport Canada’s boat paperwork. It needs its own bill of sale and a registration/permit transfer at ServiceOntario.

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  3. 3

    Form 6: only for registered vessels

    Form 6 is Transport Canada's official bill-of-sale template for the Small and Large Vessel Registers, used to transfer a registered vessel along with the full chain of bills of sale from the registered owner to the buyer.Open this section ↓

    Form 6 is Transport Canada's official bill-of-sale template for the Small and Large Vessel Registers, used to transfer a registered vessel along with the full chain of bills of sale from the registered owner to the buyer. If your boat is only licensed (PCL), the common case, Form 6 is not required: a plain bill of sale is accepted, and Form 6 can serve as a convenient template if you'd like one. Full Form 6 explainer →

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  4. 4

    Ontario's 13% RST: how the buyer pays it

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    A private seller who isn't a GST/HST registrant doesn't charge GST/HST, but the buyer pays Ontario's 13% Retail Sales Tax on a privately purchased boat and trailer (treated as “specified vehicles”), calculated on the purchase price or fair market value. Because boats aren't registered at ServiceOntario, the RST is paid directly at a ServiceOntario Centre or to the Ministry of Finance along with the bill of sale, and Ontario cross-checks Transport Canada records to confirm it was paid. Family-gift and estate exemptions exist.

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  5. 5

    Selling a boat and trailer in Ontario

    A boat on a trailer is two separate transactions.Open this section ↓

    A boat on a trailer is two separate transactions. The trailer is a provincially registered vehicle, not part of Transport Canada's boat paperwork.

    • •The boat: bill of sale + PCL transfer through Transport Canada.
    • •The trailer: a separate bill of sale + registration/permit transfer at ServiceOntario. The buyer's 13% RST covers a privately purchased boat and trailer alike.
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  6. 6

    Common Questions

    What do I need to sell my boat in Ontario?Open this section ↓

    What do I need to sell my boat in Ontario?

    A signed bill of sale: that’s the ownership document for a licensed boat. Don’t cancel the Pleasure Craft Licence; its number stays with the boat for life. Your buyer transfers the PCL within 30 days through Transport Canada ($24) and pays Ontario’s 13% RST at a ServiceOntario Centre or to the Ministry of Finance. A trailer sold with the boat is a separate bill of sale and permit transfer at ServiceOntario.

    Do I need a bill of sale to sell a boat?

    Yes. Pleasure craft generally don’t have a car-style title, and the PCL is not proof of ownership: the bill of sale is. It should include both parties’ names and signatures, the boat’s make, model, year, colour, and length, the HIN, the PCL number if licensed, the price, and the date.

    How do I transfer a Pleasure Craft Licence?

    The seller does not cancel the licence: the PCL number stays with the boat. The buyer applies to transfer it within 30 days of purchase, before operating the boat, using government ID, the bill of sale, a current photo of the boat, and a $24 fee through Transport Canada’s online PCELS system.

    Do I need Form 6 to sell my boat in Ontario?

    Only if the vessel is registered (Canadian Register of Vessels). Form 6 is Transport Canada’s official bill-of-sale template for registered vessels. For a licensed (PCL-only) boat, the common case, a plain bill of sale is accepted; Form 6 can be used as a convenient template if you’d like one.

    Do I pay tax when I sell a boat privately in Ontario?

    The buyer does. Ontario charges 13% RST on a privately purchased boat and trailer, based on the purchase price or fair market value, paid at a ServiceOntario Centre or to the Ministry of Finance. Ontario cross-checks Transport Canada records to confirm it was paid. Family-gift and estate exemptions exist.

    What is the best way to sell a boat privately in Ontario?

    Ontario has one standard process, and the order matters. Write a signed bill of sale: for a licensed boat that is the ownership document, not the licence. Do not cancel the Pleasure Craft Licence; its number stays with the boat for life, and your buyer transfers it within 30 days through Transport Canada for $24. The buyer pays Ontario’s 13% RST at a ServiceOntario Centre or to the Ministry of Finance. If a trailer is part of the deal, it is a separate bill of sale and permit transfer at ServiceOntario.

    How do I sell a boat and trailer together in Ontario?

    As two transactions in one deal. The boat side runs through Transport Canada: a signed bill of sale, no cancellation of the Pleasure Craft Licence, and a buyer-side PCL transfer within 30 days. The trailer is a provincially registered vehicle, not part of Transport Canada’s boat paperwork, so it needs its own bill of sale and a registration or permit transfer at ServiceOntario. Ontario’s 13% RST applies to the boat and the trailer both.

    Do I have to cancel my Pleasure Craft Licence when I sell my boat?

    No, and you should not. The PCL number stays with the boat for its entire life. Cancelling it does not transfer anything: it just leaves the boat unlicensed. The buyer applies to transfer the same licence within 30 days of purchase, before operating the boat, through Transport Canada’s online PCELS system.

    Is a Pleasure Craft Licence proof of ownership?

    No. A Pleasure Craft Licence is a unique ID number, like a licence plate, and it is not proof of ownership. For a licensed boat the signed bill of sale is the ownership document. Vessel Registration is the separate title system, optional for most pleasure craft and needed only to name the vessel or register a marine mortgage.

    Can I sell a boat without a title?

    An Ontario pleasure craft has a licence, not a title. Pleasure craft in Canada generally don’t have a car-style title, and the PCL is not proof of ownership: the bill of sale is. Transport Canada also accepts wills or bequests, separation or divorce agreements, court judgments, and signed transfer agreements, or a Declaration Under Oath, sworn before a lawyer, notary, or Commissioner of Oaths, if no bill of sale exists. Only registered vessels have a formal title: the Certificate of Registry.

    Official sources

    Facts checked September 2026

    Selling a boat anywhere in Canada

    The national guide: PCL vs registration, Form 6, no-title sales, and every province's tax note.

    Selling a car in Ontario

    UVIP, bill of sale, transfer steps, and RST for private car sales.

    Guidepost is not a law firm. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; verify current requirements with Transport Canada and ServiceOntario. Full disclaimer.

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Informational guide only. Guidepost is not a law firm. This guide explains the typical process and is not legal advice. Requirements can change. Verify current rules with the relevant government authority or a qualified professional before you act.