How Long Does it Take to Get a Boating License in Ontario?

Boating is a pleasurable experience to have, be it a calm sail through the seas alone or with your loved ones, or a cruise party. A boating license can give you the freedom to explore local attractions, islands, and lighthouses. There are plenty of lakes in Ontario that connect several water bodies and are available for boaters. For example, Rideau Canal, Trent Canal, Trent-Severn waterway is some of the beautiful places one must visit. However, what uses is that beautiful boat of yours if you don’t already have a boating license?

Often people mistake boating license to license of the boat. Your vessel does require a license that needs to be renewed regularly. At the same time, the driver also requires a boating driving license to drive their boats.

Boating licenses in Ontario are also called PCOC. PCOC stands for Proof of competency and anyone who operates a boat must carry their PCOC. Read on to know more on how to obtain PCOC and how long it takes:

Obtaining Boating License in Canada

In order to obtain a boating license in Canada, three simple steps need to be followed.

1. Canadian Boater Service Course

Transport Canada has a set of norms that everyone needs to fulfill before obtaining their PCOC. One of them is to study and pass the Canadian boater service course. This course runs for about three to five hours. The entire course costs about $40CAD. The course ends with a timed safety test. You can take this course online and do not need supervision.

One of the biggest advantages of this course is even if you fail, you do not have to worry. You will be allowed to give a reattempt after 24 hours.

2. Boating License Card

As soon as you pass the test at the end of your Canadian Boater Safety Course, you will instantly get a temporary Boating PCOC which you can then get printed. You can use this temporary PCOC until your PCOC arrives.

3. PCOC

Your PCOC will last a lifetime and generally is sent through the mail. It’ll take about 2 or 3 weeks for your PCOC to arrive over mail. In Ontario, the Canadian PCOC is widely accepted. You can quickly get down to your sails the moment you get your hand on the temporary card.

4. Time

It takes about 3 or 5 hours to complete the course and give your assessment in the first attempt. So, it takes just a couple of hours for you to obtain your temporary PCOC. However, you’ll have to wait for a couple of weeks to obtain your permanent card.

We’ll Help You Obtain Your Boating License

If you want to get your boating license and don’t know where to start and how to proceed, you’ve come to the right place. At Sprint Inc., we help in obtaining a boating license for Ontario. Hurry up and call us at 416 222 4190 to get all the information you need. Happy sailing!

Also Read:

Boating License in Canada – Frequently Asked Questions