Notification of Water Licence Name Change/Address Change/Transfer

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Contents:

• Overview
• Costs and Responsibilities
• What you need to apply
• What happens after you apply
• Links
• Tips for a successful application

Overview

This notification allows you to notify government of any changes you have made to the licence holder information. Submit this notification when the land for which the water licence was issued changes ownership or when you wish to update or correct the licence holder information. You may update multiple licences on one form by listing all applicable licence numbers in the free text field.

If the land for which the water licence was issued has been subdivided, you will need to fill out an Apportionment application. If the legal description of the land has been changed, please contact FrontCounter BC.

Important consideration before submitting your notification

When a water licence is issued, it is attached to the land where the water will be used. The water licence holder information must match the information on the land tenure for the land that the water licence was issued for. This means:

 

1. If you own the land to which the water licence is attached
The water licence holders must be identical to the registered owners on the land title. You may not add, remove or edit licence holders from the water licence unless the same change has been made to the land title first.

2. If you privately lease the land to which the water licence is attached
The water licence holders must be identical to the leaseholders named in the lease agreement. You may not add, remove or edit the holders of a water licence unless the same change has been made in the lease first, or a new lease agreement has been made on the land for which the licence was issued.

3. If you hold a tenure for the Crown Land to which the water licence is attached
The water licence holders must be identical to the tenure holders as found in the tenure document for the Crown land. You may not add, remove or edit the holders of the water licence unless the same change has been made in the tenure information.

Costs and Responsibilities

Fees

There are no fees for this notification.

Responsibilities

• Update any official property records (land title, private lease agreement, tenure documents, etc.) before you submit a notification of a water licence name change. The name(s) on the water licence must match the name(s) on the property records.
• Submit a notification of name change on the water licence every time there is a change to the name(s) on the official property records (land title, private lease agreement, tenure documents, etc.) to ensure that the water licence information matches the property records.
• Please review the Information Sheet: Rights and Obligations for a Water Licence Holder.

What you need to apply

You will need the following information and documents to fill out the notification:

Information

• Your water licence number

Documents

Which documents you need depends on who owns the land to which the licence is appurtenant,

• if you own the land,
  A current Certificate of Title (optional).
• if you privately lease the land,
  A current copy of the lease agreement (mandatory).
• if it is Crown Land,
  A current copy of the Crown Land Tenure document (optional).

What happens after you apply

1. Receiving the application
   FrontCounter BC staff will review your application to make sure that it is complete. If there are any questions or missing information, they will contact you. They will also contact you if the change or transfer is not possible.
2. Making the change
   Once all the information has been reviewed and validated, the water licence will be updated.
3. Issue of a confirmation
   Once the change or transfer has been made, you will receive a confirmation by mail. You may also receive a current statement.

Links

Link	Description
Water Licensing and Rights	Information on water licensing and rights in B.C.
Water Rights Databases	Tools to search for information related to water licences, water users’ communities, and permits over Crown Land.
Mapping Tools	A listing of free B.C. web-based mapping programs and tools available to the public.

Tips for a successful application

Follow these tips to make the application process easier:

1. Review this guide and have all the information and documents ready before you start filling out the application.

2. Use a Basic, Personal or Business BCeID for your application. A BCeID is easy to get and allows you to save, reopen, and check the status of your application online. Applications will automatically time-out after a certain period of inactivity if not saved.

3. Contact FrontCounter BC before you begin, to help you with all natural resource applications.