Home / Boat licences / ACT
Do you need a boat licence to sail in ACT?
Yes, but the ACT issues none — you use another state’s.
To operate a powered boat on ACT lakes you need a boat licence and a registered boat, but the ACT does not issue licences itself. Licences must be obtained from another state or territory.
- Registration
- Boats on ACT lakes must be registered unless exempt.
- Checked
- September 2026
Sailing, motoring, and where the line falls
The ACT is the odd one out. A licence is required for powered vessels on ACT waters, but Access Canberra does not issue one — you obtain a licence from another state or territory and use that.
Lake Burley Griffin is regulated by the National Capital Authority rather than the ACT Government. Powered boats there need an NCA permit, currently issued at no charge, and private recreational powered vessels must use electric auxiliary motors on the lake.
For sailing this matters less than it sounds. An unpowered dinghy or keelboat needs no licence, and Canberra sailing is overwhelmingly dinghy and small-keelboat sailing on the lakes.
Canberra sailors heading to the coast for yacht training will be under the rules of NSW or wherever they are training, not the ACT’s.
A boat licence is not a sailing qualification. It tests that you can operate a powered vessel safely and know the rules of the water. It says nothing about reefing, navigation, anchoring or handling a yacht under sail — which is what a sailing course teaches, and what a charter company will actually ask you about.
Licensing rules change. This page was checked in September 2026; confirm the current requirement with Access Canberra / National Capital Authority before you rely on it.
The rule in other states
New South Wales
Only at 10 knots or more. Under sail alone, no licence.
Queensland
Yes if the engine is over 4.5 kW — which most yacht auxiliaries are.
Victoria
Yes for any powered vessel, including a yacht with an auxiliary.
Western Australia
Yes — an RST for any motor over 4.5 kW (6hp).
South Australia
Yes for any engine at all, whatever its size.
Tasmania
Yes at 4hp or more — and it requires a practical course.
Northern Territory
No. The NT has no recreational boat licence.
A licence gets you out of the marina. A course gets you sailing.
Three questions — your experience, the boat you want to sail, and your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.