Safety equipment: what the rules require.

Carriage requirements depend on where you sail. This page sets out the US federal rules and the UK position as official sources state them, as of October 2026, and flags what we could not confirm.

Get trained

This page explains the principles. It is not a substitute for hands-on instruction from a recognized program such as US Sailing, the RYA or ASA, and it does not replace the safety rules that apply where you sail.

The rules below are summaries of what the cited official sources say. State and local rules can add to or change them, and rules change over time. Before you go out, check the current requirements with the authority for the water you sail on: in the US, the Coast Guard and your state boating agency; in the UK, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

United States: federal carriage requirements

This table follows the Coast Guard's guide A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (revised November 2023) and the federal regulations in 33 CFR Part 175. It covers the items most relevant to a sailboat, not every requirement.

Item	Federal requirement
Wearable life jacket	One USCG-approved wearable PFD for each person aboard, on boats of every length. Sailboards are exempt from the federal PFD carriage rule (33 CFR 175.17).
Throwable device	Required on boats 16 ft and longer (canoes and kayaks exempt); not required under 16 ft.
Children	Under 13s must wear a USCG-approved life jacket while under way unless below deck or in an enclosed cabin. State rules may differ in state waters.
Visual distress signals	Required on US coastal waters, the Great Lakes, territorial seas and connected waters wider than 2 nm. Open sailboats under 26 ft without propulsion machinery, boats under 16 ft and manually propelled boats need carry only night signals, and only when out between sunset and sunrise. Pyrotechnic signals expire 42 months after manufacture, and expired ones do not count.
Sound signals	Needed in meeting, crossing and overtaking situations, in restricted visibility and at anchor. Under 12 m, any efficient means; 12 m and over, a whistle; 20 m and over, a bell as well.
Navigation lights	Shown from sunset to sunrise and in restricted visibility. See rules of the road.
Fire extinguishers	Where required: 1 for boats under 26 ft, 2 for 26 to under 40 ft, 3 for 40 to 65 ft (boats without a fixed system in the machinery space). Boats from model year 2018 on need units rated 5-B or 20-B. The requirement depends on the boat having engines and enclosed spaces; we did not capture the guide's full applicability criteria, so check whether your boat needs one.
Engine cut-off switch	On boats under 26 ft with one installed, the operator must use the link when on plane or above displacement speed.

Life jackets must be usable

Connecticut's boating agency says a life jacket must be USCG approved, in good serviceable condition, readily accessible and the right size for the wearer. The Coast Guard's boating site adds that readily accessible means not stored in plastic bags or locked compartments, and recommends wearing one whenever under way even where the law does not require it. Under 33 CFR 175.23, an inflatable counts only if it has a full cartridge, chambers that hold air, a clear oral inflation tube and working status indicators.

For context, the Coast Guard's 2024 statistics found that 87 percent of people who drowned in recreational boating accidents that year were not wearing a life jacket.

Inflatables and age or weight limits

Sources set different age and weight thresholds for inflatables. Oregon's boating agency says the Coast Guard does not approve inflatables for users under 16. Connecticut's agency says they are not for people under 16 or under 90 lb; that is a state agency's statement, and we could not confirm it as a federal rule. Boat-Ed says inflatables are not recommended for anyone under 80 lb or for weak or non-swimmers. Follow the label on the device.

The new US life jacket labels

The Coast Guard is moving from the old Type I to V system to performance levels aligned with Canada's, so that one design can meet both countries' requirements.

The rule. The final rule "Lifejacket Approval Harmonization" (Docket USCG-2022-0120) was published in the Federal Register on 6 December 2024. It took effect on 6 January 2025, with enforcement from 4 June 2025. Boating Magazine describes 4 June 2025 as the date manufacturers could begin applying for Level 50, 70 and 100 approvals.
Old jackets. Type-approved life jackets you already own remain legal while in good, serviceable condition, and nothing has to be replaced. The Coast Guard no longer approves new products under the Type system.
Labels. New labels use icons: a performance level number, turning-ability icons and "not approved for" icons, in place of the old written intended-use text.

Level	What the sources say
50	A buoyancy aid for swimmers in sheltered water with help nearby. Must be marked "Not recommended for weak or non-swimmers" and counts toward carriage only when worn (Federal Register; Boating Magazine).
70	Described by NRS as equivalent to the old Type III and the most common recreational type.
100	The Federal Register describes face-up flotation in sheltered or calm water, and the Coast Guard boating site says it should not be used in rough water. Boating Magazine instead describes it as for offshore and coastal use. The sources disagree.
150 and 275	Listed by the Coast Guard boating site, which says both turn an unconscious wearer into a safe position. NRS also lists Level 150. The Federal Register summary we reviewed covers Levels 50, 70 and 100 only, so we could not confirm whether Level 150 is part of the December 2024 rule.

NRS and Boating Magazine note that the level numbers are names (nominally newtons of buoyancy) and set minimums, so check the label for the approved weight range. US Sailing, in a December 2025 statement, requires a USCG-approved life jacket with a USCG label at events where it is the organizing authority, and warns that not every ISO Level 50 jacket meets USCG Level 50. More is on life jackets.

Radios and beacons in the US

VHF licence. Boat-Ed, a state course provider, says most recreational boats used only in US waters have not needed an FCC Ship Station License since 1996, but international voyages, including to Canada and Mexico, still need one. We did not confirm this against the FCC rules themselves.
DSC and MMSI. The Coast Guard explains that a DSC radio's distress button sends a digital alert identifying the vessel, with its position if the radio has GPS. The radio must be programmed with a nine-digit MMSI or responders will not know who is calling. The Coast Guard keeps a DSC watch on channel 70 and a voice watch on channel 16. BoatUS warns that pressing the distress button as a test is illegal.
406 MHz beacons. The Coast Guard and NOAA say every 406 MHz PLB or EPIRB must be registered with NOAA, which NOAA says is required by law. Registrations expire after two years and must be renewed.

How these devices work is covered on electronics and beacons and MOB.

United Kingdom

The MCA's guidance note MGN 599 (updated 10 December 2024) says pleasure vessels under 13.7 m have no statutory requirement to carry fire-fighting equipment or life-saving appliances, and points owners to RYA and British Marine guidance. Its best-practice advice is to get trained, check the weather and tides, wear a serviced lifejacket (ideally with a light, whistle, crotch straps and spray hood), avoid alcohol, tell someone ashore your plans, carry two independent means of radio communication, and consider a 406 MHz PLB.

Some rules do apply to every boat. The RYA and MCA say SOLAS Chapter V covers all vessels regardless of size, including pleasure craft. Among other things it requires voyage planning (Regulation 34), a radar reflector where practicable on vessels under 150 GT (Regulation 19), access to a table of life-saving signals (Regulation 29), helping those in distress (Regulation 33), and not misusing distress signals (Regulation 35).

On radio, the RYA says the Short Range Certificate is the minimum legal qualification to operate VHF/DSC in the UK, and MGN 599 notes that radio equipment on UK vessels must be licensed through Ofcom under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006.

On lifejackets, the RYA says all new lifejackets and buoyancy aids sold in the UK or Europe must meet ISO 12402. It gives the levels as 50N for confident swimmers near shore, 100N for sheltered water, 150N for coastal and offshore use and 275N for extreme offshore conditions or heavy clothing, and advises a lifejacket of at least 150N with crotch straps, a light, a hood and retroreflective material. The RYA reports that RNLI clinics found 30 percent of lifejackets brought in would not have worked in an emergency, and the RYA, RNLI and MCA advise servicing at the manufacturer's interval.

Racing adds its own rules

Racing can add requirements of its own. US Sailing's Safety Equipment Requirements version 2025.2, in force for 2026, list for nearshore racing a lifejacket for each crew member, a VHF radio, approved distress signals, a sound signal, a fire extinguisher, an anchor, two waterproof flashlights, a first aid kit and a manual bilge pump, among other items. Organizers can add or remove items in the Notice of Race. See offshore races for the World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations.

Gear for thisInflatable life jackets →Foam buoyancy aids →Handheld VHF radios →Paid links

For a pre-departure list, use the day sail checklist. Our life jacket guide and handheld VHF guide cover choosing gear by category.

Sources

Safety equipment: what the rules require.

United States: federal carriage requirements

Life jackets must be usable

Inflatables and age or weight limits

The new US life jacket labels

Radios and beacons in the US

United Kingdom

Racing adds its own rules

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