Is a compliance notice mandatory?

All vessels constructed after April 29, 2010 must carry a compliance notice, but it is the manufacturer's or the importer's responsibility to ensure that the vessel is fitted with a compliance notice. Note that the requirement to affix a compliance notice does not apply to the following vessels:

• A vessel that is of open construction, is not mass-produced, is not propelled or designed to be propelled by an inboard engine or stern-drive, and that has been handcrafted by an individual in a method that have proven to be effective and reliable over time using wood or other traditional materials or, in the case of a canoe, using glass-reinforced plastic;
• Tugs;
Vessels constructed or imported by an individual for its personal use;
• small vessels with high-performance engines which are used exclusively for racing.