Compliance Notice

Any pleasure craft (except Pleasure Craft over 24m) that is propelled (or designed to be propelled) by a motor and that is built or imported into Canada must have a Compliance Notice. The compliance notice must be permanently attached to the hull of the vessel, in a conspicuous location plainly visible from the helm.

A compliance notice is the manufacturer’s or importer’s confirmation that the vessel is built in accordance with the construction requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations.

Types of Compliance Notice

There are three types of Compliance Notice for a Pleasure Craft:

Compliance Notice for a pleasure craft measuring up to 6 m in length;
Compliance Notice for a pleasure craft measuring more than 6 m long; and
Compliance Notice for vessels other than pleasure craft measuring more than 6m long.

For vessels up to 6m in length, the compliance notice states:

The maximum safe gross load capacity to be carried, including but not limited to the total weight of all persons, fuel, and any equipment on board; and
The maximum recommended safe limits for motor power for the hull.

For vessels over 6m in length, the compliance notice contains a statement indicating that the vessel was built to the pleasure craft construction requirements.

Obey your vessel’s compliance notice. A boat that is overloaded or overpowered sits lower in the water and is more at risk of swamping, capsizing, or sinking – especially in poor weather or water conditions. Overloading is dangerous; know and respect the load limitations of your vessel.

REMEMBER: The maximum load and power limits indicated on the compliance notice assume that the vessel will be operated in fair weather and that the weight of equipment and people carried in the vessel is properly distributed to balance the hull. An unstable boat is more difficult to maneuver and has a greater risk of swamping or capsizing.