Short notes for a private sale. Confirm anything that matters with Transport Canada or a lawyer.
No. The licence number stays with the boat. The buyer transfers it within 30 days. The seller should not cancel it.
Transport Canada may ask for more proof of ownership, such as a declaration under oath, before it transfers the licence.
A HIN is 12 characters on the hull. Match it to the bill of sale before you pay. This is a visual check, not a title search.
What to bring to a dockside meetup when you found the boat on a classifieds site. No posting and no scraping.
What to check before you pay a private seller in Canada: identity, HIN, licence, trailer, sea trial and the as-is terms.
A one-page walk-through for hull, engine, systems, canvas, trailer, safety gear and the HIN match. Print it and mark Good, Fair or Needs work.
Draft a plain classifieds description on your own phone. Nothing is uploaded. You still write the bill of sale separately.
What to record when a pontoon changes hands: deck, furniture, fence, engine and the trailer it usually sits on.
Bill of sale notes for a bowrider: gelcoat, floor, engine hours and the bimini.
A PWC still needs a bill of sale and, when it is powered as licensed, a Pleasure Craft Licence transfer. The HIN is on the hull.