What is Part 1 registration for a UK boat?

UPDATED 12 NOVEMBER 2026 · 2 SOURCES

Part 1 of the UK Ship Register records a boat's ownership and mortgages. What it costs, how it differs from the Small Ships Register, and what a surveyor or buyer reads from it.

DEFINITION

Part 1 registration

The part of the UK Ship Register for pleasure and commercial boats that records ownership and lets a marine mortgage be registered against the boat.

ALSO CALLED: PART 1 UK SHIP REGISTER, PART ONE REGISTRATION

Part 1 is the main part of the UK Ship Register for commercial boats and for pleasure boats you make no money from. GOV.UK says it lets you register a marine mortgage against the boat and spend more than 6 months outside the UK. It costs £153 for 5 years.

What a surveyor checks

Compare the registered name, official number and dimensions with the boat and its builder's plate, and note the registered owner against the seller. PBO quotes a broker who sees Part 1 as often a clue that a loan was used to buy the boat, so a buyer should check with the registry that no mortgage is outstanding.

In the report

"Registration: Part 1, UK Ship Register, official number and registered length as on the certificate seen. Registered owner matches the vendor. Mortgage status to be confirmed by the buyer with the registry before completion."

Frequently asked

How much does Part 1 registration cost?

GOV.UK lists £153 to register for 5 years and £72 to renew for another 5.

Does Part 1 prove VAT was paid?

No. HMRC says no registration document proves a boat's UK VAT status, because UK registration isn't linked to VAT.

Related terms

Glossary

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Small Ships Register (SSR)

Part 3 of the UK Ship Register: a low-cost register for UK-resident owners' pleasure boats under 24 m that proves nationality abroad but doesn't record ownership.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Brodica

The Croatian term for a boat over 2.5 m up to 15 m, registered and inspected by the harbourmaster; craft over 15 m are yachts surveyed by the Croatian Register of Shipping.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Certificado de navegabilidad

The Spanish certificate that a recreational boat meets the rules, recording each compulsory inspection and the date of the next one; it must be kept on board.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Certificat d'enregistrement

The single French registration document for pleasure craft that replaced the carte de circulation and the acte de francisation.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

DAFN

France's annual tax on pleasure craft, now called the taxe annuelle sur les engins maritimes à usage personnel, based on hull length and engine power.

EUROPEAN PAPERWORK

Declaration of conformity

The builder's signed statement that a recreational boat meets the EU Recreational Craft Directive, which must accompany the craft.

Related guides

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