Whether you want to use your boat for river or sea navigation, there’s one thing you shouldn’t forget: registering your boat. Just like a car, your boat needs a registration number. The purpose of this is to enable you to trace your vessel in the event of theft, but also to locate it in the event of distress.
Registering a boat for maritime traffic
It is compulsory to register your boat if it is more than 2 metres long or if its engine has more than 3 kilowatts of power. There are several steps involved.
La francisation du bateau
First of all, the boat must be registered. This applies to boats sailing in international or foreign waters, as well as those over 7 metres in length. Boats with engines of more than 22 hp will also need to be registered. To be registered, you must be a citizen of Europe and live in France. The boat itself must meet European safety standards. Francisation applies to two types of boat: new boats and boats bought second-hand abroad. Francisation is a duty levied by French customs once a year. It is then possible to fly the French flag and benefit from the associated advantages. You will need to contact your local customs office to complete the francisation procedure. Once you have been identified, you will receive a certificate of registration for your pleasure boat.
Registering your boat
Next comes the registration of your boat. You will then need to go to the DDTM (Délégation à la Mer et au Littoral Départementale). You will then be able to obtain a maritime waters boating licence. You will be issued with a navigation card if your boat is not registered, or a navigation permit if it is. Note that the registration number must be clearly displayed inside the cabin.
Changes and river navigation
If your situation changes, you must notify the relevant authorities: customs (change of home port) or the delegation for the sea and coastline (change of address, engine or leaving the fleet).
If you want to sail on the rivers, you will also need to register your boat. This is compulsory for boats with an engine of more than 6 hp and a length of more than 5 metres. First of all, you need to register with a boating commission. You will then need to obtain a licence. In the case of a boat less than 15 metres long, an International Pleasure Craft Certificate must be obtained. This will show the registration number. With this number, you can sail abroad. This number must be displayed on the hull.
If you own a boat, you must have a registration card.
Who should you contact to register your boat?
From 1 January 2022, you will no longer have to go through customs to have your boat registered and franked. Instead, the Ministry of the Sea (Maritime Affairs administration within the DDTM/DML departmental directorates for the territories and the sea) will be in charge. The two procedures have now been merged and will be replaced by a single procedure: the registration procedure. You can register your boat on the demarches-plaisance.gouv.fr portal.
Identifying your boat
Identifying your boat means first and foremost identifying the service concerned. From now on, you will need to contact a Délégation à la Mer et au Littoral (DML), which is itself part of a Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer (DDTM). You can then contact their Yachting department to find out more about the identification process.
The first thing you need to do is declare the purchase of your boat. If you are buying a new boat, the dealer may have made the request. In the case of a second-hand boat, you and the seller must inform the authorities. You have one month in which to do this. Provide the registration number of the vessel, the date of sale and the transfer code given to you by the seller.
You will then need to send the documents required for registration. If you are applying for initial registration, you will need to provide the purchase invoice (or bill of sale), the written declaration of conformity, the information sheet, a photocopy of the owner’s identity document or an extract from the commercial register and proof of address. You will also need to complete the Fiche Plaisance form. If you are buying a boat in the European Union, you will need to enclose a tax receipt. If you are transferring ownership, you will need to provide the purchase deed, the original of the ‘acte de francisation’, a photocopy of the owner’s identity document, proof of address and the Yachting Form.
You will then receive the boat registration card or ‘carte de circulation’.
The procedure can be complex, and it can be very useful to get help.
Pelagia Yachting can help
As with all boat dealers, Pelagia Yachting can help you with the boat registration process. These boat experts will be able to guide you through the steps involved in registering your dream boat. Advice and responsiveness are our best assets in helping you with these procedures, which can sometimes be complicated and time-consuming.
With Pelagia Yachting, you’ll find real professionals who can give you valuable advice on how to register your boat quickly and legally. If you wish, we can even take care of the formalities for registering your boat ourselves. You’ll save time and be able to enjoy your brand new yacht sooner.
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