Narrowboat licence cost in 2026/27: what you'll actually pay

Licence fees increased by 4.85% for licences beginning on or after 1 April 2026, applying to private boaters and boating businesses alike. The Trust linked the rise to inflation forecasts of around 3.8% to April 2026.

Part of the pressure comes from people not paying at all. The Trust's September 2025 count put licence evasion at 14.1%, up from a corrected 11.8% in March 2025, which it says costs the network over £5 million a year. Its March 2026 National Boat Count put evasion at 11.8%.

The baseline

Length drives the base figure, so a longer boat costs more. The Trust's online licence price calculator gives the exact base fee for your boat for a licence starting on or after 1 April 2026.

The no-home-mooring surcharge

Boats licensed without a home mooring pay an additional surcharge, introduced in April 2024 and phased in over several years:

• —15% for 2026/27 licences
• —20% from April 2027
• —25% from April 2028

This is applied on top of the annual increase, so continuous cruisers face two rises at once. It has been the subject of sustained objection from boaters' organisations, who argue it falls hardest on people who live afloat because they cannot afford a mooring.

Wide beam surcharges

Boats wider than 2.16m pay an additional 19%, and those over 3.24m pay 38%, for licences starting on or after 1 April 2026. These are also being phased upward: 22% and 44% from April 2027, reaching 25% and 50% respectively by April 2028.

The other costs that come with it

A licence is not the whole picture. A current Boat Safety Scheme certificate and insurance are both conditions of holding one, and hull blacking every two to three years is the usual maintenance expectation. Missing any of them can leave you unlicensed without intending to be.

Figures are as published by the Trust for 2026/27 and are given for orientation. Use the Trust's own licence calculator for the exact cost of your boat.