Witness Requirement Removed for Small Vessel DOCs
Regulations Amending the Small Vessel Regulations: SOR/2020-279
The Small Vessel Regulations were amended to remove the requirement that a Declaration of Conformity (DOC) be signed in front of a person authorized to administer oaths, allowing manufacturers and importers to complete and submit DOCs fully online while retaining a mail option without witnessing. The change, made under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, came into force on 2020-12-23 and is intended to reduce time and costs for industry (especially small businesses) and improve accessibility and digitization of the DOC process.
- Published
- December 23, 2020
- Department
- Unavailable
- Section
- Regulations Amending the Small Vessel Regulations
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- December 23, 2020
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
The final rule amends the Small Vessel Regulations to remove the requirement that the signing of a Declaration of Conformity (DOC) be witnessed by a person authorized to administer oaths. This lets manufacturers and importers complete and submit DOCs fully online; the change came into force on December 23, 2020.
What it does#
- Repeals paragraph 803(1)(d) of the Small Vessel Regulations, so a DOC no longer must be signed in front of a witness.
- Allows the DOC process to be completed and submitted electronically through the existing online system.
- Keeps the option to submit a paper DOC by mail, but without the witnessing requirement.
- The change implements a step toward digital handling of DOCs under the authority of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
Who's affected#
- Manufacturers and importers of small vessels who must submit a Declaration of Conformity (DOC) to Transport Canada.
- Small boat dealers and other small businesses — about 90% of past DOCs came from small businesses.
- Registered Canadian Responsible Officers (CROs) who sign DOCs.
- People with mobility or accessibility challenges may notice easier access because the process can be completed online.
- If it’s unclear who is affected in a specific case (for example, unusual vessel types), the source does not spell that out.
Why it matters#
- Time and money savings: the government estimates total present-value savings of $639,400 (2021–2030), including about $626,400 saved by industry and $13,000 saved by government.
- Direct benefit to small businesses: roughly $563,800 of the industry savings are expected to go to small businesses.
- Practical conveniences: no need to arrange and pay (about $20) for a notary or other oath witness, or to courier signed documents to Transport Canada.
- Better online service: once the witness rule is removed, the existing online system can handle DOCs end-to-end, speeding up the process while keeping the service standard of 30 business days for reviews.
- Accessibility: people with disabilities that affect mobility should find it easier to complete DOCs without travel.
- Oversight remains: the DOC validation steps and communications with the CRO continue to help guard against fraud even without the witnessing step.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette