- Standard long term E&W
- Houseboat Certificate, E&W
- Gold Licence
- Short term, E&W
- BW Scotland long term
- BW Scotland short term
Standard Licence, England and Wales
3, 6 or 12 months, Canals & Rivers/ Rivers Only
- Standard Boat Licences are for boats kept solely for personal use by the licence holder, friends and family. The Licence does not permit you to operate or offer the boat for hire, for carrying goods or passengers for payment or for any other commercial purpose.
- The Licence does not allow you to use the boat for any type of business.
- If you own a share of a boat, you should use the following criteria to determine whether you need a standard or business licence. A standard licence will be issued for a boat owned collectively by a group of private individuals providing that all of the following requirements are met:
- None of the share owners has any interest in the boat other than for personal, pleasure use.
- The licence holder (the boat's lawful keeper) is no more than two of the share owners, nominated by all other share owners to be responsible for meeting BW's Licence Terms and Conditions, including insurance and boat safety requirements.
- The licence holder is the person (or people) named as the insured on the boat's insurance certificate.
- The licence holder, in consultation only with other share owners, is responsible for all decisions relating to control and administration of the boat throughout the year. This includes determining where the boat is berthed and who uses it when.
- The boat's livery does not display an association with any company engaged in the boat share business.
If any of these requirements are not met, a business licence will be required.
The licence allows free passage through the Anderton Boat Lift, Standedge Tunnel and the Ribble Link, subject to local booking conditions. Charges may apply for the use of other structures which require our people to operate them. Details are advertised locally.
You may use the boat for towing another licensed boat (for example, an unpowered butty or another boat that has broken down) as long as you are not doing it for reward or a promise of payment.
The twelve month England & Wales licence is also valid for BW Scotland waterways.
The Rivers Only option is valid for 'River Waterways' defined in Schedule 1 of the British Waterways Act 1971, as amended. These are:
- Avon (Hanham Lock to Bath)
- Bow Back Rivers
- Fossdyke & Witham (Torksey to Boston)
- Lee Navigation (Hertford to Limehouse)
- Limehouse Cut
- Ouse and Ure (Goole to Ripon)
- Severn (Stourport to Gloucester)
- Soar Navigation (Trent Junction to Leicester)
- Stort Navigation
- Tees (Tees Barrage to Low Worsal)
- Trent (Shardlow - Gainsborough, including the Nottingham & Beeston Canal)
- Weaver Navigation (Winsford Bridge to Manchester Ship Canal)
Boats with River Only Licences navigating between the River Trent and River Ouse via the Stainforth & Keadby Canal, Aire & Calder Navigation and the Selby Canal may do so at no extra charge providing they stay no longer than seventy-two hours on these Canals.
What if I want to hire my boat to others?
A Leisure Business Licence is required for this. There are more stringent terms that reflect the greater public safety risks associated with hiring boats to inexperienced crews.
See our guidance note.
Houseboat Certificate - England & Wales
12 months, Canal & Rivers
If the boat is a houseboat (see General Licence Conditions - Definitions 1.5) which is not used for navigation, and it is kept on a British Waterways long term mooring with planning consent for residential use, you may purchase a Houseboat Certificate. The price is the same as for a Canal and River Licence. The Houseboat Certificate and BW mooring permit must run concurrently with the same expiry dates. Houseboats are normally boats without a means of propulsion.
If you use the boat for navigation, you should purchase a Standard Boat Licence.
BW & EA Gold Licence - England & Wales
12 months beginning 1st January
The Gold Licence allows you to cruise freely on EA navigations and on BW waterways in England, Wales and Scotland. It is available for twelve months only, beginning on 1st January. If you already have a BW licence that expires on a different date, we will refund the outstanding portion if you wish to switch to a Gold Licence. We do not have the authority to refund existing EA licences. Please contact the EA licensing office which issued your licence.
You must comply with the Conditions, Acts, Bye-Laws and Regulations that apply to whichever waterway your boat is being used on.
Gold licences are not refundable and are only issued for full calendar years commencing 1st January.
Short Term Licences
These licences are for trailed boats and larger vessels visiting BW waterways for short periods from other navigations or coastal waters. Short Term Licences are not available to boats floating in marinas or on moorings connected to BW waters.
Short term licence application forms can be downloaded here. Descriptions and prices are published on the licence fees page, or contact customer services for a printed copy of the documents.
BW Scotland licence
- Covers the Highland Waterways (Crinan and Caledonian Canals) and Lowland Waterways (Forth & Clyde and Union Canals).
- A BW Scotland mooring permit is also required.
- Locks and swing or lift bridges are manned on the Caledonian and Lowland Canals and there are charges for operation outside of normal hours.
- The licence includes free passage through the Falkirk Wheel - a specific passage time may be booked in advance for a charge.
- Temporary and overnight mooring charges apply on the Caledonian Canal at Seaport Marina after the first night. There may be charges by private operators of visitor moorings outside the man-made section of the Caledonian Canal within the lochs.