Do you need a boating license to paddle a canoe in Ontario?

No. A canoe, kayak or paddleboard moved only by paddles needs no card. The rules apply to boats fitted with a motor, electric trolling motors included.

How long is a boating license valid?

The Pleasure Craft Operator Card is valid for life.

What is the fine for driving a boat without a license in Ontario?

$250, under the federal Contraventions Regulations, for operating without the required competency or without proof of competency on board.

Boating License Ontario: Who Needs the PCOC and How to Get It

Who needs itAnyone driving a boat with a motor for recreation
Canoe, kayak or paddleboard, no motorNo card
Electric trolling motorCard needed
Valid forLife
Fine without proof on board$250
CostSet by each course provider

Who needs a boating license

Transport Canada's rule: if you operate a boat with a motor and use it for recreation, you need proof of competency. Every motor counts, electric trolling motors included, and the rule applies even when the motor is off, as on a sailboat under sail. What people call a boating license is this proof. Its usual form is the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC). The rule is federal, so it is the same in Ontario as in the rest of Canada, apart from the exemptions below.

Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards

A boat moved only by paddles needs no card: the competency rules apply only to pleasure craft fitted with a motor. Mount an electric trolling motor or a small outboard on a square-stern canoe and the rule applies to whoever runs it, the same as on any motorboat.

How to get the card

Take a boating safety course with a course provider accredited by Transport Canada, in a classroom or online.
Pass the test at the end of the course. You can also write the test without taking the course, but only in person, supervised by an accredited provider.
Carry the card itself on the water. Transport Canada does not accept a paper or electronic copy.

Each provider sets its own fees, so prices vary. The card is valid for life, and the provider that issued it replaces a lost one.

Find a course

Transport Canada lists every accredited course provider and shows which ones offer the course and the test online.

See the accredited providers

Age and horsepower limits

Operator's age	Limit
Under 12, without direct supervision	Up to 10 hp (7.5 kW)
12 to 15, without direct supervision	Up to 40 hp (30 kW)
Under 16	No personal watercraft, supervised or not

Direct supervision means someone 16 or older in the boat, actively supervising. These limits do not apply in Nunavut or the Northwest Territories.

Other proof that counts

A certificate from a Canadian boating safety course completed before April 1, 1999.
A professional marine certificate on Transport Canada's list of equivalencies.
A completed rental boat safety checklist, for the rental period only.
For visitors, an operator card that meets the rules of their home state or country.

Who is exempt

Anyone operating in the waters of Nunavut or the Northwest Territories.
Visitors to Canada operating their own boat here for fewer than 45 consecutive days.

Fines

The federal Contraventions Regulations set a $250 fine for each of these: operating a pleasure craft without the required competency, not having proof of competency on board, and letting someone operate without it.

Operator card or boat licence?

They are different documents. The operator card is about the person driving, like a driver's licence. A Pleasure Craft Licence is about the boat: a boat needs one when its engines total 10 hp (7.5 kW) or more. It is valid for five years, and its number goes on both sides of the bow.

Planning a day on the water

Sources

Checked 13 October 2026.