Craft Registrations 2023/24


2023/23 season expires on 31 March 2023.

2023/24 season commences on 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.

If you want to paddle on many waterways you often need a ‘licence’ to do so and the fee collected contributes to its upkeep and maintenance.

The navigation authority for the Suffolk & Essex River Stour is the Environment Agency and they oversee applications for unpowered or powered and business or private craft.

  • Powered and/or business craft? Apply directly to the Environment Agency – click here
    • “Powered boat” means a boat which is mechanically propelled by a combustion engine, steam engine or electric motor.
    • “Business boat” means a boat kept or used on a waterway which is not kept or used solely as a private boat. The River Stour Trust is unable to process business boat registrations. 
  • Unpowered and private use craft? See registration options below.
    • “Unpowered open boat” means a boat that is not mechanically propelled; and is either open to the elements with no enclosed or decked accommodation space (including a rowing boat, dragon boat, punt, dinghy with or without sail, canoe, paddle board, light inflatable) or the occupants are only protected by a spray deck (including a kayak).
    • “Private boat” means any boat that is kept and used on a waterway solely for private leisure purposes, and not for the purposes of generating income for any organisation or business or for providing a service to others.
  1. Environment Agency – You can register your craft (powered or unpowered, private or business) directly with the Environment Agency (EA) for a specific period within their current season (running between 1 April until 31 Mar the following year):
    • Explorer: up to 15 non consecutive days.
    • Daily: up to 24 consecutive hours from the time of issue, or where issued in advance, valid for 24 hours from date and time requested at application 
    • Weekly: between 1-7 consecutive days
    • Monthly: between 1-31 consecutive days
  2. British Canoeing – this covers the member and not the craft (joint/family memberships are available). If you would like to loan your craft to someone else then they also need to be a member or you need to register the craft.
  3. Environment Agency c/o River Stour Trust – we can process applications on behalf of the EA for unpowered and private use craft seeking their daily, weekly, monthly or annual craft registrations. We also sell copies of the Suffolk & Essex River Stour Navigation Guide.

Click here for more information on all these options.

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