What a CRT licence actually requires.
Third-party insurance, a Boat Safety Scheme date, and a mooring or continuous-cruising declaration are one job at renewal.
The Canal & River Trust page recorded on 18 September 2026 states that you need third-party insurance cover for at least £2,000,000 before buying a boat licence. Check CRT's current requirements before applying. This is a recorded licence requirement, not an Inland Boat premium or a promise of cover.
Canal & River Trust · Boat insurance · England and Wales (Canal & River Trust waterways) · accessed 18 September 2026 · CRT last edited 25 August 2026.
Licence
Start from the official CRT licence pages rather than a broker blog. Canal & River Trust · License your boat · accessed 18 September 2026.
BSS
Check your certificate and expiry date, and ask the relevant authority about any exception. Inland Boat does not examine boats or verify certificates. Canal & River Trust · Boat Safety Scheme · accessed 18 September 2026. Boat Safety Scheme · accessed 18 September 2026.
Home mooring or continuous cruising
Prepare the home-mooring details requested by CRT, or read CRT's requirements for boats without a home mooring. Living aboard and having no home mooring are different facts: tell a prospective insurer about both. Reading this guide makes no declaration to CRT.
Canal & River Trust · Continuous cruising · England and Wales (Canal & River Trust waterways) · accessed 18 September 2026.
EA waters
Environment Agency registration is separate. Do not assume CRT’s stated insurance minimum is the requirement for every waterway. Check the current conditions for the waters you intend to use. GOV.UK · Register a boat (Environment Agency) · England (Environment Agency waterways) · accessed 18 September 2026.
Keep the paperwork together.
Have your renewal reminder, existing insurance documents, BSS details and mooring information ready. Check names, boat identifiers and dates across the documents. If the BSS date is unknown or expired, confirm the next steps with the scheme, navigation authority and provider. A guide cannot confirm that a licence or policy can be issued.