First time boat owner tips for Queensland: licence, rego, trailer and gear

A tinnie is a small open aluminium boat, and the owner rules still apply

In Australia, a tinnie (or tinny) is slang for a small open aluminium boat. Small doesn't mean exempt. Queensland ties both the licence and registration to engine power, not hull size, so a little tinnie with a decent outboard carries the same owner checklist as a much bigger boat.

There's also a duty that sits over everything else. The Queensland Government calls this your general safety obligation: a safe boat, the right safety gear, suitable crew, and safe operation every time you're on the water. The BoatSafe workbook puts it plainly: all ship owners and operators are responsible for safety, and failing that obligation can lead to prosecution.

So think of the rest of this page as the practical version of that duty. Licence. Rego. Trailer. Gear for the water you'll actually use. Lifejackets. Then a plan for every trip. None of it's hard once you know the order.

Licence: you need one once the engine is more than 4.5 kW

You need a Queensland marine licence to operate a boat with an engine power greater than 4.5 kW. To get one, you must be at least 16 and complete and pass a BoatSafe course. The training provider then gives you a statement of competency. It's only valid for 6 months from the date it's issued, so don't sit on it. Take it to a transport and motoring customer service centre or QGAP office that does marine licensing, with your ID and a completed application, and apply. Once you have the licence, you don't need to renew it.

Until then, you can still drive if a supervisor with a valid marine licence is on board and able to take immediate control. That's fine for learning, though every trip then depends on someone else being free. Towing someone on skis or a tube is different: only a licence holder can drive.

For the step-by-step, see how to get a QLD boat licence. Not sure your engine needs one? Read do I need a boat licence in Queensland.

Boat registration: any engine of 3 kW or more

All boats in Queensland with an engine of 3 kW or more must be registered when they're on the water. That line sits below the 4.5 kW licence line, so an engine above 3 kW but no more than 4.5 kW needs rego even though you could drive it without a licence.

Bought a used boat? Change the ownership into your name within 14 days of the purchase. Take a completed transfer form (F3521), evidence of the boat's origin such as the receipt, and your ID. You may be able to do it online as the buyer, once the seller has done their part. Registering a boat for the first time uses form F3525 at a customer service centre.

Two things catch new owners out. Third party insurance isn't included in boat registration, so you'll need to take that cover out with an insurer. And you can be fined for operating an unregistered boat. You'll get a renewal notice about 4 weeks before rego expires.

Registration numbers: readable from 30 metres

Once your boat's registered, its numbers have to be on the hull where people can read them. The Queensland Government says they must be readable from 30 metres away, in a colour that contrasts with the hull.

The size depends on the boat. A boat capable of planing needs numbers at least 150 mm high on both sides. A boat that can't plane needs them at least 75 mm high, on both sides or on the stern. Check which group your boat falls into before you buy the stickers.

A few other changes are worth knowing about. You no longer get a registration label for the boat, and you won't be fined for leaving an old expired label on. In most cases, a registration certificate isn't posted out either. You can get it online, and you can check a boat's registration online or through the QLD Rego Check app. That's handy before you buy a used boat, too.

Trailer registration: needed for Queensland roads

Trailers used on Queensland roads must be registered, and that includes the trailer your tinnie rides on. If you bought the boat with a registered trailer, the trailer's registration has to be transferred too. When a used trailer or boat changes hands, the registration must be transferred within 14 days.

Buying a trailer that's never been registered, or a used one that's unregistered, means a new registration. You can't apply for that online. For trailers that have never been registered in Australia before, one with an ATM of 750 kg or less can use the optional vehicle details inspection sheet (F3529). One with more than 1 axle, or an ATM over 750 kg, needs a pre-registration inspection. And a trailer built or registered from 1 July 2023 needs a Vehicle Identification Number, applied for online through the Road Vehicle Regulator system, plus a pre-registration inspection to confirm its identity before it can be registered. So don't assume a light trailer skips the inspection.

Insurance works differently on the road. Most trailers don't need their own compulsory third party (CTP) insurance when a Queensland registered vehicle is towing them. The Queensland Government says to check with your car's CTP insurer to see whether the trailer is covered. Put the trailer's registration number in your trip plan as well as the boat's and the car's.

Safety gear depends on the water you use

Queensland sets compulsory gear by water type, so first work out where you'll boat. In smooth waters, a boat that isn't a jet ski or tender needs a required lifejacket for each person aged 1 or more. If the boat is more than 5 metres, add firefighting equipment that can put out a fire quickly.

Smooth waters include rivers, creeks, streams and lakes, so the Maroochy and Noosa rivers count. The Pumicestone Passage is smooth water too: schedule 8 of the regulation covers the stretch inside Bribie Island, from the mainland across to the island's western side and north as far as its tip.

In or beyond partially smooth waters, add a V sheet, 2 handheld red flares and 2 handheld orange smoke signals. Beyond partially smooth waters and more than 2 nautical miles from land, you also need a 406 MHz EPIRB registered with AMSA. The open ocean off the Sunshine Coast beaches isn't named in either the smooth or partially smooth schedule.

Out after sunset? Carry a torch or other lighting device for signalling, on top of your navigation lights.

Lifejackets: one for every person aged 1 or more, and some must be worn

Lifejackets are the one item on every gear list. Sections 13 and 14 of the regulation require a lifejacket for each person on board aged 1 year or more, whatever the water. The level that counts depends on where you are, and in a small open boat some people have to wear theirs, not just carry it.

That matters for tinnie owners. The regulation defines an open boat as one without a permanent, rigid deckhouse or cabin, so most tinnies fit. Section 24 of the regulation sets who has to wear one while an open boat is underway. Kids aged 1 to under 12 must wear theirs, whatever the boat's length. In an open boat under 4.8 metres, if you're the only person aged 12 or more on board during the day, you must wear yours too. And under 4.8 metres at night, everyone aged 1 or more must wear one. Our Queensland life jacket rules guide covers the levels and the rest of the detail.

As the owner, there's one more job. The BoatSafe workbook says if passengers have never been on a boat, it's the operator's responsibility to show them where the safety gear is kept and how to put a lifejacket on. Do it before you leave the shore.

Before each trip: plan it, check the weather, know who to call

The BoatSafe workbook says to plan all your day's boating, even the smallest trip, and to always let someone know your plans in plenty of detail. Its voyage plan lists:

- where you're going and when you expect to be back - the names and phone numbers of the people on board - how much fuel you're carrying and the safety gear on board - a description of your boat - your boat, car and trailer registration numbers - what to do if you don't return on time (ring the police)

Check the weather before you go and again while you're out. The Queensland Government points to the Bureau of Meteorology for forecasts, and Maritime Safety Queensland's weather line for south-east Queensland is 13 00 36 04 28. Drink-driving laws apply on the water too, with a 0.05 limit for recreational boats.

If someone is hurt or in danger, call triple zero (000). For the wider set of rules on the water, from speed limits to passing other boats, see our Queensland boating rules guide.

Where to learn on the Sunshine Coast

Every course is run by experienced local instructors on sheltered Sunshine Coast water. Our Boat Licence course is priced from $329: a one-day course with all equipment provided and online theory included. It's a BoatSafe course, and when you successfully complete it the training provider gives you the statement of competency you need to apply for your licence.

Planning to keep your tinnie on the Pumicestone Passage, the Maroochy River or the Noosa River? We train on all three, from Golden Beach in Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosaville, so you can learn on the same water you'll take your own boat out on.

Got a jet ski on the wish list too? The Boat & Jet Ski Combo covers both licence courses in a single day. When you're ready, pick a date on the course dates page.

Training delivered by Australian Boating College, RTO #3399.