boat licences and registrations
Before you launch your boat, you need to buy a licence (or registration). This allows you to cruise around and to keep your boat on the waterways.
Almost all of Britain's waterways are run by three main organisations, each of which issues its own licences and registrations.
British Waterways runs almost all the canals, and rivers such as the Severn, Trent and Yorkshire Ouse.
Visit British Waterways’ boat licence pages.
The Environment Agency runs the River Thames, the River Medway, and the rivers of East Anglia.
The Broads Authority runs the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.
Just like a road tax disc, you will need to provide evidence that your boat meets safety standards (the Boat Safety Scheme) and has third-party insurance before being issued with a licence.
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