Legislative Committee Bulletin - Regulations on Compulsory Ship Insurance for Passenger Vessels - In Force January 11, 2019

Sep 17, 2026

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Legislative Committee Bulletin outlines regulations requiring ships carrying passengers to maintain minimum liability insurance for death or personal injury, effective January 11, 2019. Vessel operators receive 60 days to comply and must carry a Certificate of Insurance onboard or provide a copy within 24 hours after a designated officer boards. The rules apply to commercial and public-purpose domestic passenger transport, and establish minimum coverage tied to passenger capacity, while not overriding limits under the Marine Liability Act. Exemptions cover specific tourism, training sail, international carriage, pleasure crafts, coast guard auxiliary search and rescue, and government self-insured entities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

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Pages1

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Regulations on Compulsory Insurance for Passenger-Carrying Ships

Effective date and compliance timeline

Insurance requirements and certificate obligations

Coverage limits and statutory relationship

Exemptions and non-applicability

Supporting bulletin and certificate template access

Legislativ e Committee Bulletin Regulations concerning com pulsory insurance for ships carrying passengers to be in force effective January 11th , 2019. Transport Canada has advised that the regulations concerning compulsory insurance for ships carrying passengers will come into force effective January 11th, 2019. Vessel operators will have 60 days to comply with the insurance requirements and they will be required to carry a Certificate of Insurance onboard the vessel or provide a copy within 24 hours after a designated officer boards the vessel. These newly published Regulations require all commercial and public purpose ships engaged in the domestic carriage of passengers to maintain liability insurance for death or personal injury in a minimum amount of $250 ,000 multiplied by the passenger capacity of the ship. As a result , the Regulations: Ensure that all passengers and/or their families receive financial compensation in the event of an incident , while protecting vessel operators against catastrophic losses and possible civil actions from passengers . Provide consistency with other modes of transportation that currently require liability insurance cover for personal injuries or death. These regulations do not override the Part 4 of the Marine Liability Act , the vessel owner can still limit their liability per passenger to 175 ,000 Special Drawing Rights . Note these Regulations do not apply to: adventure tourism, as defined in subsection 37.1 ( 1 ) of the Marine Liability Act the carriage of a sail trainee an international carriage a carriage by pleasure craft , as defined in section 2 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 search and rescue operations carried out by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary the Government of Canada or the government of a province (because they are self-insured), or an entity entitled to indemnification by that government A Ship Safety Bulletin has been issued on the Regulations: [https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/bulletins-2018-13-eng.htm](https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/bulletins-2018-13-eng.html)[l](https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/bulletins-2018-13-eng.html) Transport Canada’s news release can be found at [https://www.canada.ca/en/transport](https://www.canada.ca/en/transport)canada/news/2018/12/minister-garneau-announces-new-regulations-to-better-financially-protectmarine-passengers-in-the-event-of-marine-accidents .html A copy of the Certificate of Insurance template can be obtained from Transport Canada by emailing: [marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca](marinesafety-securitemaritime@tc.gc.ca), or found here: [http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2018/2018-](http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2018/2018-)[ ](http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2018/2018-)[12-12/html/sor-dors245-eng.html](12-12/html/sor-dors245-eng.html) Keeley Wylie CBMU Legislative Committee Chair STAY CONNECTED

FAQs

When do the regulations take effect and how long do operators have to comply?

The regulations take effect effective January 11, 2019. Vessel operators have 60 days to comply with the insurance requirements.

What must a vessel operator carry or provide regarding the Certificate of Insurance?

Operators must carry a Certificate of Insurance onboard, or provide a copy within 24 hours after a designated officer boards the vessel.

What do the regulations require for liability insurance coverage?

Commercial and public-purpose passenger ships must maintain liability insurance for death or personal injury in a minimum amount of $250,000 multiplied by the passenger capacity of the ship.

Sep 17, 2026

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