FAQS - Changes to boat registration charges and renewals process 2026-2027

The problem with our new IT system was resolved on 21 November 2025 and the correct charges have now been generated. 

We have emailed customers to let them know about the error and to confirm the correct charge for 2026. 

Customers can now renew their registration as normal.

We issued our boat registration renewal notifications for the River Thames by email on 19 November 2025 using our new IT system.

Unfortunately the system did not generate the correct charges to include the 3.8% Consumer Prices Index (CPI) increase, so the notifications were showing 2025 charges. 

We temporarily paused boat registration renewals whilst we resolved the problem with our system. 

We are increasing boat registration charges for 2026 to 2027 by 3.8%. This Consumer Prices Index (CPI) increase is in accordance with the Environment Agency National Boat Registration Charging Scheme, published following public consultation in 2024.

We need to increase charges to keep pace with inflation while we develop our longer-term strategy. Following consultation in 2024, we advised that we would ‘apply an increase in line with inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the Office for National Statistics on 30 September in the immediately preceding year, unless we consult on a different level of increase’. 

The increase of 3.8% represents the published CPI (excluding housing costs) on 30 September 2025. This measure of CPI is used by all Environment Agency charging schemes when increasing charges by inflation.

You can view full details of the 2024 consultation plus our response on GOV.UK. 

Our approach follows the industry, with other Navigation Authorities increasing charges.

The changes will take effect from 1 January 2026 for the River Thames, and 1 April 2026 for Anglian waterways and Medway navigation. Unless we consult, charges for 2027 onwards will also increase by CPI as published on 30 September 2026.

The charge increase applies to boat registration charges for River Thames, Anglian waterways and Medway navigation. 

You will find the cost of your registration for the next year on your registration renewal form. This will be a 3.8% increase on your charge for 2025 to 2026. 

We have now published the updated Thames charges for 2026, ahead of sending the renewal notices. We will update the charges for Anglian Waterways and Medway Navigation ahead of sending their renewal notices in February 2026. 

You can view the full national legal charging scheme online. Click on the link and then select the relevant waterway. Please note, you will need to add 3.8% to these charges. 

The additional income will cover increases in costs linked to inflation and will reduce the chances of costs exceeding income. This will help us to continue to deliver the navigation service, while we develop our longer-term strategy. We are also working hard to make sure we are delivering the service as efficiently as possible.  

The additional income will cover increases in costs linked to inflation and will reduce the chances of costs exceeding income. This will help us to continue to deliver the navigation service and make improvements where we can.

We share our customers’ concerns about our service. We have faced challenges from increased inflation and pressures on funding over recent years which has impacted the service. We have already started to review what we can do to improve this. We want to make improvements for the 2026 season by focusing on what will make the biggest impact for our waterway communities.  

We are currently developing our new strategy for our waterways from 2026. This strategy will set out our priorities and how we will secure the sustainable future of our waterways. We will engage with our customers as we develop this strategy.   

You can view full details of the 2024 consultation plus our response on GOV.UK. 

If you have any specific enquiries, please contact our Boat Registration team via email - boatreg@environment-agency.gov.uk or call 03708 506 506 (Mon to Fri 8 to 6). 

We are upgrading our internal IT system for managing boat registrations. This new modern system will change the way we manage registrations, including annual renewals, helping us be more efficient and serve you better. 

As part of these changes, we will now be sending your annual boat registration renewal by email rather than by post. Sending out renewal documents by email will save money and is a more sustainable option. 

Those who we do not have an email address for will still receive their renewal by post. 

This is the first important step towards a digital boat registration service, allowing customers to register online.

Please be assured, if you have no email address and no way of receiving your renewal by email, we will issue your renewal by post. We want to keep postal registrations to a minimum as these cost us more money and are less environmentally friendly but we will of course continue to provide postal renewals where there is no alternative. 

If your situation changes, you can provide us with your email address by calling 03708 506 506 (Mon to Fri 8 to 6). 

The process for renewing your boat registration has not changed. Information about how to renew will be included in your renewal. Please follow the instructions to make the process as smooth as possible.

We are upgrading our internal IT system for managing boat registrations. This is the first important step towards a digital boat registration service, allowing customers to register online. 

The next phase of the project is to create a customer facing portal via GOV.UK. We will focus on this next phase following the successful transition and implementation of the new internal system. We do not have an exact timeline for this work, but we will update customers as this work progresses.

We normally send registration plates by email to be printed at home. If you cannot print your registration plate yourself, we can post one to you. Please ask when you renew your registration. You can also request a plastic wallet in which to display it.

Our staff have been fully trained on the new system. As with any change, there may be some disruption initially while our staff get used to the new ways of working. Please be patient as we transition to this new system.