Boat Safety & Required Equipment

What the Coast Guard and your state actually require aboard, a pre-launch ritual that catches the classic mistakes, and a float plan you can text ashore in one tap. Pick your boat length (Under 16 ft, 16–26 ft, 26–40 ft, Kayak / paddlecraft), how many are aboard and whether it has an inboard or stern-drive gas engine, and the checklist rebuilds for that boat.

Federal USCG minimums — 16–26 ft, 2 aboard

• 2 wearable life jackets — one per person — USCG-approved, the right size for each person, serviceable and readily accessible — not sealed in packaging. Required on every length, kayaks included.
• Throwable Type IV (cushion or ring) — Required on boats 16–40 ft. Must be immediately available — on deck, not buried in a locker.
• Fire extinguisher — 1 × 5-B — Model year 2018+ boats must use 5-B or 20-B rated units; disposables expire 12 years from the manufacture date stamped on the bottle.
• Visual distress signals — day AND night — Day and night signals required (flares or an electric distress light for night). Check the dates — flares expire 42 months from manufacture.
• Sound device — whistle or horn — Must produce a 4-second blast audible half a nautical mile. Required on all lengths, kayaks included.
• Navigation lights — Red/green sidelights plus a white all-around or stern light, required sunset to sunrise. All lengths.
• Engine cutoff switch (ECOS) lanyard — Operators of boats under 26 ft MUST use the lanyard or wireless link whenever on plane or above displacement speed — federal law since 2021.
• Backfire flame arrestor + ventilation — Required for inboard and stern-drive GAS engines only.

Source: uscgboating.org — federal carriage requirements — https://www.uscgboating.org. Shorter and longer boats differ: under 16 ft drops the throwable Type IV and needs night distress signals only, 26–40 ft carries two 5-B extinguishers (or one 20-B), and kayaks/paddlecraft need a life jacket per person plus a sound device.

State rules beyond federal

Florida

• Boater education card aboard — Anyone born on or after Jan 1, 1988 operating a boat of 10 HP or more must have completed boater education and carry the ID card.
• Kids under 6 must WEAR a life jacket underway — Applies on boats under 26 ft — wearing it, not just aboard.
• PWC riders: life jackets worn, no inflatables — On a PWC the PFD must be worn; inflatable PFDs are prohibited for PWC use and skiing.

Source: myfwc.com — FWC boating regulations — https://myfwc.com/boating/regulations

Texas

• Boater education certificate aboard — Required for anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1993 operating a boat over 15 HP, a windblown vessel over 14 ft, or any PWC.
• Kids under 13 must WEAR a life jacket underway — Applies on boats under 26 ft.

Source: tpwd.texas.gov — mandatory boater education — https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/boating/mandatory-boater-education-requirements

North Carolina

• Boater education certificate aboard — Required for anyone born on or after Jan 1, 1988 operating a boat of 10 HP or more.
• Kids under 13 must WEAR a life jacket at all times underway — No length exception — wearing it whenever the vessel is underway.

Source: ncwildlife.org — boating laws & safety — https://www.ncwildlife.org/boating/laws-safety

Maryland

• Certificate of Boating Safety Education aboard — Required for anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 operating ANY motorized vessel — carry the certificate.
• Kids under 13 must WEAR a life jacket underway — Applies on vessels under 21 ft.
• Infants under 4: special PFD features — Their life jacket must have a crotch strap, an inflatable headrest or high collar, and a web recovery handle.

• Verify locally: Daytime visual-distress exemption for boats under 16 ft: Maryland defers to federal standards — assume the USCG rules above and verify locally.
• Verify locally: Non-resident boater-ed reciprocity: Maryland generally recognizes cards from NASBLA states — verify locally before counting on it.

Source: dnr.maryland.gov — required equipment & life jackets — https://dnr.maryland.gov/nrp/pages/boatingsafety/life-jackets-for-kids.aspx

California

• California Boater Card aboard — Phase-in complete as of Jan 1, 2025: ALL operators of motorized vessels, any age, must carry the California Boater Card (DBW).
• Kids under 13 must WEAR a life jacket underway — Applies on vessels 26 ft and under.
• TWO carbon monoxide warning stickers — One at the helm and one at the transom — required by the Farr/Beckett Act.

• Verify locally: Non-resident boater-ed reciprocity: California generally recognizes cards from NASBLA states — verify locally before counting on it.

Source: dbw.parks.ca.gov — California Boater Card & equipment — https://dbw.parks.ca.gov?page_id=28711

The pre-launch ritual

Eleven checks, in order, with the drain plug first because it is the classic launch-day disaster. Tick them off on your phone — the list remembers where you were.

• Drain plug IN — The classic launch-day disaster. Physically touch it before the trailer touches the ramp.
• Transom straps off — winch strap stays ON until the boat floats
• Battery switch on + motor tilts
• Fuel and oil level checked
• Bilge pump runs
• VHF radio check (VHF guide)
• Weather + tide checked (Your waters)
• Licenses aboard (License wallet)
• Fire extinguisher gauge in the green
• Dock lines & fenders ready
• Trailer lights unplugged before dunking

Float plan — tell someone ashore

Fill in your boat, launch point (GPS finds the nearest covered water), destination, crew and return time, and the page composes a message you can text or copy to your shore contact — including the instruction to call the Coast Guard on VHF 16 or 911 if you are more than two hours overdue. A complete plan covers:

• Vessel details — name, registration number, size, make, engine
• Passenger manifest — names, ages, emergency contacts
• Communications gear — VHF/handheld, cell numbers, EPIRB/PLB IDs
• Itinerary — departure point, route, destination, ETA return
• Tow vehicle / trailer description + plate, left at the launch site
• Instruction for your shore contact to call the USCG or local authorities if you are overdue (e.g. 2 hours past return)

USCG float plan guidance — https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/floating-plan.php

Before you leave the dock

Run a radio check with the marine VHF guide, brush up on channel markers & buoys for the run out, keep your license and bag & size limits in your pocket, and check live conditions on your water.

Educational quick reference for recreational boaters — not a substitute for USCG or state law. Shown are the federal minimums plus the headline rules for our covered states; local waters can add more (bridge clearances, no-discharge zones, springtime PFD rules). Verify with the linked official sources before you launch.