Registering your boat
You need to register your boat with the Environment Agency if you want to take your boat on the River Thames.
There are two main categories, powered and unpowered. For each, there are a number of licence options and ways to pay.
For more information about registration on the River Thames visit the Environment Agency’s website. You can get advice and copies of the application forms by calling the Environment Agency’s craft registration department on 0118 953 5650 or by downloading them.
If you are planning on visiting another waterway other than the River Thames you'll need to talk to the relevant navigation authority about their registration requirements. The Association of Inland Navigation Authority’s website has more information on this.
Application forms
- Download the application forms
- The application forms you need to fill in to register your boat are available from the Environment Agency website
What happens to the income generated?
The Environment Agency spend the income raised from craft registration on improving and maintaining the navigation fairway and locks as well as facilities such as sewage disposal, water points and electricity charging points. For more information see the Environment Agency's website.