Narrowboat licence fees explained
What you’ll pay the Canal & River Trust in 2026/27, why continuous cruisers and widebeams now pay more, and what’s still changing.
Figures verified 5 July 2026 · 2026/27 prices, effective 1 April 2026Sources
Almost every boat on CRT’s 2,000 miles of canals and rivers needs a licence, priced by boat length, then adjusted by beam and mooring status. Fees rose 4.85% on 1 April 2026 (announced November 2025, based on Bank of England inflation forecasts). The table below is the 2026/27 price list for a 12-month Canal & River licence, narrowbeam, with a home mooring, checked against the official CRT licence calculator, July 2026. For your exact boat, use our licence calculator.
2026/27 licence fees by length
| Boat length | 12-month licence | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| up to 5.4m (17ft 9in) | £768.05 | £64.00 |
| 5.5–6.4m (18–21ft) | £820.67 | £68.39 |
| 6.5–7.4m (21–24ft) | £873.31 | £72.78 |
| 7.5–8.4m (25–27ft) | £925.88 | £77.16 |
| 8.5–9.4m (28–30ft) | £980.92 | £81.74 |
| 9.5–10.4m (31–34ft) | £1,031.23 | £85.94 |
| 10.5–11.4m (34–37ft) | £1,086.19 | £90.52 |
| 11.5–12.4m (38–40ft) | £1,136.46 | £94.71 |
| 12.5–13.4m (41–43ft) | £1,191.50 | £99.29 |
| 13.5–14.4m (44–47ft) | £1,244.16 | £103.68 |
| 14.5–15.4m (48–50ft) | £1,296.76 | £108.06 |
| 15.5–16.4m (51–53ft) | £1,349.44 | £112.45 |
| 16.5–17.4m (54–57ft) | £1,404.46 | £117.04 |
| 17.5–18.4m (58–60ft) | £1,454.69 | £121.22 |
| 18.5–19.4m (61–63ft) | £1,509.76 | £125.81 |
| 19.5–20.4m (64–66ft) | £1,559.98 | £130.00 |
| 20.5–21.4m (67–70ft) | £1,614.98 | £134.58 |
| 21.5–22.4m (71–73ft) | £1,670.08 | £139.17 |
The surcharges, and where they’re heading
Since April 2024, CRT has been phasing in two surcharges on top of the base fee. They add together, so a broad-beam continuous cruiser pays both.
| Surcharge | 2026/27 | Apr 2027 | Apr 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No home mooring (continuous cruiser) | +15% | +20% | +25% |
| Beam over 2.16m (7ft 1in) | +19% | +22% | +25% |
| Beam over 3.24m (10ft 8in) | +38% | +44% | +50% |
In cash terms: a 57ft narrowbeam continuous cruiser pays £210.67 on top of the £1,404.46 base in 2026/27; by April 2028 that surcharge alone reaches roughly £350 at today’s base prices. If you’re weighing up ditching the mooring to save money, factor in the rising surcharge. Our comparison runs the full numbers.
Discounts and cheaper licences
- Electric propulsion: 25% off, applied after any surcharges. The biggest discount going, and it also marks where CRT wants the fleet to head. See the real cost of an electric or hybrid narrowboat for the fuller picture, including the battery cost the licence discount doesn’t offset.
- Historic boats: 10% off for eligible registered historic craft.
- River-only licences cost 60% of the full canal & river price, if you’ll genuinely stay on CRT’s river navigations.
- Shorter licences (week, month, quarter, half-year) exist but cost proportionally more; continuous cruisers can’t buy 3-month licences.
Boats on Environment Agency waters such as the Thames, Nene and Great Ouse need EA registration instead. If you cruise both networks, a joint Gold Licence covers all CRT waters plus the EA’s. It runs on the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December, and for 2026 it starts at £827.34 for boats under 3.5m wide, priced by length. Continuous cruisers pay 10% more, and boats powered only by an inboard electric motor get 25% off. Source: the Canal & River Trust Gold Licence page, checked 19 October 2026.
2027/28 licence fees: what we know so far
CRT sets each year’s rise in November, using the Bank of England’s inflation forecasts, and the new prices take effect on 1 April. The 2026/27 rise of 4.85% was announced on 12 November 2025. As of 19 October 2026, the 2027/28 rise hasn’t been announced.
Part of next year’s increase is already fixed. From 1 April 2027, the surcharge for boats without a home mooring goes from 15% to 20%, and the widebeam surcharges go to 22% and 44%. Even if base prices didn’t rise at all, a 57ft continuous cruiser would go from £1,615.13 to £1,685.35. Whatever CRT announces in November comes on top of that.
We’ll check the new prices against CRT’s own calculator as soon as they’re published and update this page and the licence calculator.
Licensing is being reformed
In November 2025, the independent Commission on Boat Licensing reported with 36 recommendations, and in February 2026 CRT committed to acting on them in three phases: immediate communication improvements and a boater app (2026), consultations on movement requirements for boats without a home mooring, insurance requirements and licence discounts (through 2027), and potential new legislation beyond 2028. Translation for your budget: the rules for continuous cruisers and the discount structure could genuinely change in the next two years. We re-verify this page against official CRT prices every April and update it when the consultations land. The methodology page logs every change.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is a canal boat licence in 2026?
- A 12-month Canal & River Trust licence for a narrowbeam boat with a home mooring costs from £768.05 (under 5.5m) to £1,670.08 (71–73ft) for licences starting on or after 1 April 2026. A typical 57ft narrowboat is £1,404.46. Continuous cruisers pay 15% more, and widebeam boats pay 19% or 38% more depending on beam.
- Do continuous cruisers pay more for their licence?
- Yes. Since April 2024, boats licensed without a home mooring pay a surcharge that is being phased in: 15% for 2026/27 licences, 20% from April 2027, and 25% from April 2028. On a 57ft narrowboat that's £210.67 extra in 2026/27.
- How is the widebeam surcharge calculated?
- Boats with a beam over 2.16m (7ft 1in) pay +19%, and boats over 3.24m (10ft 8in) pay +38%, for licences starting on or after 1 April 2026. These rise to +25% and +50% by April 2028. The surcharge adds to the continuous-cruiser surcharge if you have no home mooring, so a broad-beam continuous cruiser pays +53% in 2026/27.
- Are there any licence discounts?
- Electric-propulsion boats get 25% off and registered historic boats get 10% off, applied after any surcharges. There are also prorated shorter licences, and river-only licences cost 60% of the full canal-and-river price.
- When do licence fees change?
- CRT announces new fees each autumn, effective 1 April. The 2026/27 rise was 4.85%. Surcharge steps for continuous cruisers and widebeams continue each April until 2028. We re-verify this page against official CRT prices every April.