The federal minimum for a recreational boat, sorted by length, engine and waters.
Updated October 28, 2026
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Federal minimums from the U.S. Coast Guard's A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats and the regulations behind it (33 CFR 175, 46 CFR 25.30 as amended in 2022, and the Navigation Rules in 33 CFR 83), checked October 2026. State rules may add more, such as mandatory life jacket wear, boater education cards and PWC hours. Educational summary, not legal advice.
What each rule asks for, and where boat length changes the answer
Every recreational boat needs one USCG-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board, the right size and readily accessible. Boats 16 ft and longer also carry one throwable device, such as a ring buoy or cushion; canoes and kayaks are exempt. Children under 13 must wear a life jacket while underway unless they are below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Inflatable life jackets count only for people 16 and older.
Engine boats with an inboard engine, a fixed fuel tank or closed compartments need extinguishers; an open outboard boat under 26 ft is exempt. Since the 2022 rule, boats of model year 2018 and newer carry 5-B or 20-B units: one under 26 ft, two from 26 to under 40 ft, and three from 40 to 65 ft. Disposable units must be replaced 12 years after manufacture.
On coastal waters (the Great Lakes, the territorial sea, and connected bays and rivers up to the point where they narrow to 2 miles wide), boats 16 ft and longer carry day and night signals at all times. Boats under 16 ft, open sailboats under 26 ft with no engine, and hand-powered boats need night signals only, and only after sunset. Flares count only when USCG-approved and in date.
Under the Navigation Rules, a boat under 39.4 ft (12 m) needs some means of making an efficient sound signal, so a whistle or air horn on a lanyard meets the rule. From 39.4 ft, the boat needs a whistle or horn that can be heard for half a nautical mile.
Lights are required from sunset to sunrise and in fog or heavy rain. A power boat under 39.4 ft may show red and green sidelights with one all-round white light; longer power boats show a masthead light, sidelights and a sternlight. A sailboat under sail drops the masthead light. Kayaks, canoes and rowboats need a white flashlight ready to show.
Power boat on coastal waters, no fixed fire system, operating day and night
Common questions about federal boat safety equipment
Yes. A kayak or canoe needs one wearable USCG-approved life jacket per person, a sound-producing device such as a whistle, and a white light ready to show at night. On coastal waters it also needs night visual distress signals after sunset. It does not need a throwable device or a fire extinguisher.
On a boat of model year 2017 or older, yes, as long as the B-I or B-II unit is USCG-approved and in good, serviceable condition. Boats of model year 2018 and newer must carry 5-B or 20-B extinguishers.
Not under federal rules if the lake is inland water with no connection to coastal waters. The Great Lakes count as coastal waters, so boats there follow the full visual distress signal rule. Some states set their own requirements for inland lakes.
States can add to the federal minimum but not lower it. Common additions are life jacket wear rules, boater education cards and PWC hours. Check your state boating agency before you launch.
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