Proof of Age & Identity for Recreational Boat Registration/Licence

You must be at least 16 years of age to perform a motor boat registration or licensing transaction; a person aged at least twelve but not yet sixteen may apply for a Special Permit to Operate a Motor Boat, but may not be a registered owner of a recreational vessel.

Special Permit to Operate a Recreational Vessel

When full Evidence of Identity (EOI) is required

A person, business or body corporate, is required to provide full Evidence of Identity (EOI) if they’re not already recorded on the Recreational Boating System (RBS) database, don't exist on the Australian Securities and Investment Commission website, and/or are attempting one of the following licence or registration transactions:

Licence transactions

1. First ever issue of a Boat Operator's Licence or Special Permit;
2. Issue of an SA Boat Licence to the holder of an Interstate Boat Operator's Licence; and
3. A duplicate Boat Operator's Licence or Special Permit.

Registration transactions

• Transfer of Registration or New Owner Re-Registration of a Recreational Vessel and the client is not recorded on the database;
• Initial Registration of a Recreational Vessel to a client not recorded on the database;

If you are required to provide full EOI, a minimum of three identity documents must be produced. There must be at least one document from Category A and one from Category B. The third document may be from either Category A, B or the Evidence of Residential Address Category.

At least one of the identity documents must show your signature and date of birth. If your Australian residential address is not shown on one of the above mentioned documents, a fourth identity document from the Evidence of Residential Address category must be produced.

NB: As an applicant for a duplicate copy of a Motor Boat Operator's Licence may not be resident in South Australia, or may for some other reason be unable to provide a Customer Service Centre with original EOI documents, photocopies of EOI documents are acceptable but only if a Justice of the Peace (JP) certifies that they have sighted the originals and the copies are also certified by the JP.

A person who is aged at least twelve, but is not yet 16 years of age, may apply for a Special Permit to Operate a Recreational Vessel. As a person aged less than 16 years is less likely to have access to many of the acceptable documents from either Category A, B or C, a letter on official school or other education institution stationery, verifying the student’s name, date of birth and address, signed by the student and witnessed by a teacher may be acceptable as Evidence of Identity.

Documents acceptable as Evidence of Identity for a person

Category A - evidence of existence and linkage between identity and the applicant

• Australian Birth Certificate bearing both a registration & certificate number (not a Commemorative Certificate, Certified Copy or Extract)
  If the Certificate is not in the name currently used - appropriate linking documentation will be required - refer Evidence of Change of Name.
• Australian Citizenship Certificate or Naturalisation Certificate
• Australian Passport (current or expired up to 2 years)
• Foreign Passport (current or expired up to 2 years if accompanied by a current Australian Visa)
• Department of Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) travel document (valid up to 5 years after issue)
• DIMIA Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (DIMIA no longer issue these Certificates however, Staff may accept Certificates previously issued)
• Australian Photo Driver Licence (current or expired up to 2 years)
• Australian Defence Force Photo Identity Card (excluding civilians)
• South Australian or Federal Police Officer photo identity card
• New South Wales Photo Card issued by the Roads & Traffic Authority (only Photo Cards issued after 14 December 2005 will be accepted)
• South Australian proof of age card (issued after 9 October 2006)

Category B – evidence of use of identity

• Medicare Card
• Financial institution account card or credit card with signature and embossed name
• Student identity document from an educational institution showing photograph and signature
• Department of Veterans' Affairs, Commonwealth Pensioner Concession or Health Care concession card
• Australian issued security guard or crowd controller licence showing photograph
• Australian issued firearm licence showing photograph

Evidence of residential address

The following documents are acceptable as evidence of a person's residential address:

• Contract of purchase, lease or rental, mortgage or land ownership certificate
• A telephone, gas or electricity account (up to one year old)
• A water rates, local government council rates or land valuation notice (up to two years old)
• Certificate or Statement of enrolment from an Educational Institution (up to two years old)
• A passbook or statement from a bank, building society or credit union (up to one year old)
• Current Australian vehicle registration certificate
• Australian driver’s licence or vehicle registration renewal for the coming period
• Last or current financial year Australian Taxation Office tax assessment
• Australian Electoral enrolment confirmation
• A letter from the principal of a recognised educational institution (up to 1 year old):
  NB: This document, if on the institution letterhead and also signed by the student, may be used as a Category A or B Document by a person aged between twelve and fifteen years (ie Applicant for a Special Permit).

Change of address

To change your address via telephone, you must provide your name, date of birth, previous address and new address, as well as Boat Licence or Vessel Registration number, to verify your identity.

Change of name

You must provide evidence of your change of name whether it is through marriage, divorce or change of name through Births, Deaths and Marriages. You must provide documents that prove the link between your current name and your previous name.

The following documents are considered appropriate as evidence:

• Full Evidence of Identity in current or former name
  AND one of the following
• Marriage Certificate issued by Registrar Births, Deaths & Marriages (Commemorative Certificates are not acceptable)
• Change of Name Registration with Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry
• Deed Poll Certificate (previously issued by Lands Title Office)
• Divorce papers Decree Nisi or Absolute (indicating the name being reverted to)

Further information

Email us or contact any Customer Service Centre for more information.