Are you changing the maximum engine power of a boat, changing the number of people on your boat, or changing an engine that is more efficient than what is recorded in the register?
Find out the technical data of your boat before you start the registration. Engine power, number of people or other technical data cannot be changed without clear justifications. It is the applicant’s responsibility to enter the correct information into the registration application. If the details are incorrect or insufficient, we will send you a clarification request, which slows down the registration.
If the boat has a CE marking, find out the maximum allowed engine power and number of persons stated by the manufacturer in the documentation or plates of the boat (owner's manual, declaration of conformity, manufacturer's sign) or straight from the manufacturer.
Please note that exceeding the maximum engine power or number of people according to CE certification requires the boat to be re-certified, in which case a post-construction assessment (PCA) (External link) must be carried out.
If the boat was built before the entry into force of the Recreational Craft Directive (16 June 1998), you can also examine whether there is a type plate on the boat where the maximum engine power and number of persons are marked. You can also ask the manufacturer if the manufacturer is still in operation.
Additionally, you can search for information in magazines, brochures, or other reliable sources. Traficom maintains a table (xlsx) (External link) (External link) on the technical data and engine power for boats where you can search for the details of your boat.
If the boat has already been registered with an overpowered engine, you can install an engine of the same power in the future as well. Before 1 August 2014, engine powers were not monitored. In that case, check to see if the boat has an old extract of certificate of registry where the engine power is marked, unless information can be found in Traficom's register.
When checking the engine power or number of people on a boat, it is good to rely on reliable sources. There is a lot of differing information on different forums, which can be partly misleading. A responsible boater and a boat’s master ensure that boating is safe for themselves and other boaters.