Importing a Boat & Trailer

This page began in 2006 from an online discussion about buying a boat and trailer in the U.S.A. More than 65% of the 100,000 new and used boats sold in Canada in a year (NMMA 2018) are imported from the United States so many buyers have discovered savings by importing boats themselves.

Note: I cannot answer questions about regulations and laws about importing a boat. If you can't find answers here, use our Government Directory for Canadian Border Services (importing), Transport Canada (licences), and U.S. Government (U.S. border), and Provincial government (sales tax, trailer licences).

General summary:

Before Purchase: It is easier to import a boat by hiring a broker, but you can do it yourself with a little effort. Get all paperwork organized (ownership, titles, licences, ads, emails, invoices, cancelled cheques) for border crossing and for licences and taxes owed once you are back in Canada. You can use our Budget Worksheet to help your planning.

Check Ownership and Trailer VIN: You must check for liens yourself, such as loans and unpaid repairs even if the seller says ownership is free and clear. If the trailer came from a "non-title" state, you may need to get a letter from the state (or their website) stating that fact. The trailer must have a valid VIN, so call RIV (Canadian Registrar of Imported Vehicles) to find out if the VIN is valid before you buy.

Survey the boat and motor: Arrange a professional boat survey for at least the hull and motor before making a formal offer. This can eliminate nasty surprises and even help negotiate the price. Never use a seller's surveyor! You can check the boat yourself if you are willing to take the chance of major problems after your money is committed!

Making the Purchase: Don't sign an Agreement of Purchase until you have checked out everything and are ready to buy. A satisfactory sea-trial is often a condition of a purchase agreement. Make sure you have methods of payment that are acceptable to the seller, usually cash or electronic transfer. Electronic transfers must work in the U.S. and on weekends. Make paper copies of all transactions.

After Purchase: As soon as you complete a purchase, arrange insurance. Your tow vehicle's insurance can probably be extended (insurance rider) to cover a boat/trailer driving back to Canada. A U.S. State trailer licence exemption may be enough to drive to the border - once in Canada you are given additional time to get a trailer licence.

At the Border: Do not stop at U.S. Customs. Stop at Canada Customs and declare that you are importing a boat. Tell the truth when asked a question - no details, just the answer. Declare the actual value and selling price (Why you should never undervalue your boat).

You need Ownership and Bills of Sale for boat, trailer, and any removable accessories (outboard motors, ladders, electronics), taxes paid, and survey costs. Get separate bills of sale for each of these, as you may pay different taxes on each depending on the province you are importing them into.

Sales tax (May 2014) may be charged depending on the province where you enter into Canada. These provinces charge PST (Provincial Sales Tax): British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba (RST), and Québec (QST). These provinces and territories charge HST (Harmonized Sales Tax): New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island. Lucky residents of Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon pay no sales tax at all.

Federal duty is not charged on boats manufactured in Canada, Mexico or the U.S. based on NAFTA rules, currently being changed to USMCA. (Importing is currently complicated by a new tariff on U.S.-made boats. See note at the top of the page.) With the Canada-European Trade Agreement (CETA 2017), duties on imports from a European Union (EU) country are removed or are phasing out their tariffs. Boats made in other countries pay between 5% and 9.5% duty. Most marine safety equipment is duty-free - an important reason for separate bills of sale for any equipment or accessories that can be removed from the boat. Import requirements are the same whether you enter Canada by land or sea.

RIV fee (Canadian Registrar of Imported Vehicles) must be paid for trailers less than 15 years old. If the border agent instructs you to pay online, make sure they send the proper forms to RIV for you.

After you get home: You will need to get a federal inspection on the trailer at a Canadian Tire store. CTC just verifies the manufacturer’s VIN plate that stated the gross vehicle weight of the front and rear axle (Nov/2006) and that the tires are the proper size/condition for the trailer (Jan/2020). CTC sends the Inspection Form to RIV. Then you can buy a trailer licence at a provincial Driver & Vehicle Licence Office - some provinces charge PST on used trailers. Keep all your receipts - governments can ask for proof you paid proper fees and taxes years from now. (Letter from a boater.)

Important Notes: You cannot legally buy a U.S. documented boat that is currently in Canada. A Canadian who buys and keeps a boat in the U.S. cannot bring it into Canada without "importing" it, with all related paperwork and fees. Once it's properly imported and licensed with provincial numbers, it's now a Canadian boat. Fly the maple leaf on her!

Value of U.S. Boats: Boat value is based more on usage, salt-water, damage, and maintenance than its age. Beware of boats that have been damaged - they can look fine and be perfectly functional, but still be structurally unsound. Read this: Storm Damaged Boats.

BOATERS' CONTRIBUTIONS

In 2006, a boater did some research of legal requirements to purchase, license, and insure a used boat and trailer for import to Canada (he wished to remain anonymous). Since regulations change, I continue to add real-life experiences sent to me by boaters. These contributions are in date order - I do my best to edit comments about outdated regulations. Also note that a U.S. "registered" boat is similar to a Canadian "licenced" boat (about licences). Please contact me with corrections or new information only. All queries about regulations and importing must be directed to the proper government department.

At the bottom is a List of Terms for abbreviations and a few testimonials from happy boat buyers.

Reader Comments (last updated: ):

2020: Jan 2019: May 2018: Aug Nov 2015: Aug 2014: Jul Apr Feb 2012: Dec Jul-b Jul May Mar Feb Jan 2011: Sep Jun-b Jun May-b May 2010: Dec Aug Jun-b Jun May-d May-c May-b May Mar 2009: Sep-c Sep-b Sep Jun 2008: Nov-b Nov Oct Sep-b Sep Jul-d Jul-c Jul-b Jul Jun           May Apr-b Apr Mar-d Mar-c Mar-b Mar Feb Jan 2007: Dec-b Dec Nov Oct Jul Jun Jun-b May-b May Apr 2006: Dec Nov Oct-b Oct Jul May

FEEDBACK FROM BOATERS

If you have contributions with NEW information, please contact Pat. Please include your province and any other important details. If it is not already on this page, don't ask me! I cannot answer questions about laws or regulations - sorry!

(Second email) When getting ready, I did phone the RIV office... You no longer need a statement from the trailer manufacturer. That was more important when I was thinking about a used unit. The thing they seemed interested in most was the compliance sticker on the trailer. Mine even said good for T.C in Canada. R.I.V. did send me a new sticker as well.

Go to Services Canada to acquire a new set of boat licence numbers (bring all documents). You can do this by mail or in person. That is it. First time was a breeze. Just make sure you follow every step.

The broker's American bank is required by law to release the funds only after it has completed fraud investigations on the certified cheque. The funds are there and the cheque is good, however American bank laws seem to prevent {a reasonable transfer time}. I doubt if the broker would deal with a Canadian purchaser ever again because of the hassle involved with clearing the cheque. Best Regards, ... PS I will undertake a PayPal contribution to your valuable resource.

Budget Worksheet for Importing a Boat to Canada

Here is a free budget worksheet you can print out to keep track of your costs importing your boat: Cost Worksheet for Importing a Boat .

Testimonials

Terms used on this page: