WHAT IS A PLEASURE CRAFT OPERATOR CARD?
A Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC), more commonly known as a boating community as a boating license, is a federally mandated boating competency card. You must obtain and carry your PCOC in order to legally operate any powerboat or motorized boat in Canada, except Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Unlike your driver’s licence, your PCOC can not be suspended or revoked, and once obtained it’s good for life. Boaters must carry their permanent card onboard and photocopies are not considered legal.
WHERE CAN I GET MY NUNAVUT BOATING LICENSE?
You can obtain your official boating license by taking the BOATsmart! Course online and passing the Transport Canada Boating Safety test. Once you pass the open-book Test you can print your Temporary Card right away and go boating. Your Official BOATsmart! Card will arrive in the mail within 4 weeks at no charge.
HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO GET A BOATING LICENSE IN NUNAVUT?
You can obtain your official boating license by taking the BOATsmart! Course online and passing the Transport Canada Boating Safety test. Once you pass the open-book Test you can print your Temporary Card right away and go boating. Your Official BOATsmart! Card will arrive in the mail within 4 weeks at no charge.
HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO GET A BOATING LICENSE IN NUNAVUT?
Boaters of all ages can get certified with their boat license in Nunavut. There is no minimum age. All boat operators, including those less than 16 years of age, are required by law to obtain a carry a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) and carry it while boating. Additionally, certain Age and Horsepower Restrictions apply to boaters 16 years of age and under. See below.
AGE AND HORSEPOWER RESTRICTIONS
No children under 12 years of age can operate a powerboat with a more than 10 horsepower engine.
Youths, aged 12 to 15 may only operate a boat with a motor up to 40 horsepower unsupervised.
Operators must be at least 16 years of age to operate a personal watercraft, such as a Jet Ski or Sea Doo.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET MY BOATING LICENSE?
Boaters can get their Boating License online in as little as 3 hours, by completing the online boating safety course and passing the Transport Canada Boating Safety Test. Once completed, they can print an official boating license immediately. BOATsmart! then mails the permanent card within four weeks. Although boaters can complete an in-person classroom course and test, the online course is the fastest way to complete the process.
DO I NEED A LICENSE TO RENT A BOAT IN NUNAVUT?
It is highly recommended that boat operators obtain their PCOC before renting or operating a boat in Canada. In order to rent a boat in Nunavut, operators must either complete a rental boat safety checklist or be certified with their Pleasure Craft Operator Card. By obtaining your boat license you will learn all of the knowledge you need in order to boat with confidence.