46 CFR 117.70: Ring life buoys on vessels
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026
This section sets the number and size of ring life buoys a vessel must carry, based on vessel length. It also sets rules for approval, stowage, color, lifelines and floating waterlights.
What it says
A vessel of not more than 7.9 meters (26 feet) in length must carry at least one life buoy of not less than 510 millimeters (20 inches) in diameter.
46 CFR 117.70(a)(1)“A vessel of not more than 7.9 meters (26 feet) in length must carry a minimum of one life buoy of not less than 510 millimeters (20 inches) in diameter;”
A vessel of more than 19.8 meters (65 feet) in length must carry at least three life buoys of not less than 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter.
46 CFR 117.70(a)(3)“A vessel of more than 19.8 meters (65 feet) in length must carry a minimum of three life buoys of not less than 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter.”
Each ring life buoy on a vessel must be stowed so that it can be rapidly cast loose.
46 CFR 117.70(b)(3)“Be stowed in a way that it can be rapidly cast loose”
Each ring life buoy on a vessel must not be permanently secured in any way.
46 CFR 117.70(b)(4)“Not be permanently secured in any way”
If a vessel is on an oceans or coastwise route, each ring life buoy on it must be orange in color.
46 CFR 117.70(b)(5)“If on a vessel on an oceans or coastwise route, be orange in color.”
At least one ring life buoy must have a lifeline. If more than one is carried, at least one must have no lifeline attached.
46 CFR 117.70(c)“At least one ring life buoy must be fitted with a lifeline. If more than one ring life buoy is carried, at least one must not have a lifeline attached.”
Each lifeline on a ring life buoy must be at least 18.3 meters (60 feet) in length.
46 CFR 117.70(c)(2)“Be at least 18.3 meters (60 feet) in length;”
At least one ring buoy must have a floating waterlight, unless the vessel is limited to daytime operation, in which case none is required.
46 CFR 117.70(d)“At least one ring buoy must be fitted with a floating waterlight, unless the vessel is limited to daytime operation, in that case no floating waterlight is required.”
Common questions
How many ring life buoys does a vessel over 19.8 meters need?
A vessel of more than 19.8 meters (65 feet) in length must carry at least three life buoys. Each must be not less than 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter.
“A vessel of more than 19.8 meters (65 feet) in length must carry a minimum of three life buoys of not less than 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter.”
How long must a ring life buoy lifeline be?
Each lifeline on a ring life buoy must be at least 18.3 meters (60 feet) in length.
“Be at least 18.3 meters (60 feet) in length;”
Do ring life buoys have to be orange?
Yes, if the vessel is on an oceans or coastwise route, the ring life buoys must be orange in color.
“If on a vessel on an oceans or coastwise route, be orange in color.”
Is a waterlight required on a daytime-only vessel?
No. A vessel limited to daytime operation does not need a floating waterlight.
“unless the vessel is limited to daytime operation, in that case no floating waterlight is required.”
The text of 46 CFR 117.70
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of March 31, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Ring life buoys
(a) A vessel must have one or more ring life buoys as follows:
(1) A vessel of not more than 7.9 meters (26 feet) in length must carry a minimum of one life buoy of not less than 510 millimeters (20 inches) in diameter;
(2) A vessel of more than 7.9 meters (26 feet) in length, but not more than 19.8 meters (65 feet), must carry a minimum of one life buoy of not less than 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter; and
(3) A vessel of more than 19.8 meters (65 feet) in length must carry a minimum of three life buoys of not less than 610 millimeters (24 inches) in diameter.
(b) Each ring life buoy on a vessel must:
(1) Be approved in accordance with § 160.050 in subchapter Q of this chapter, or other standard specified by the Commandant, including, but not limited to, approval series 160.150;
(2) Be readily accessible;
(3) Be stowed in a way that it can be rapidly cast loose;
(4) Not be permanently secured in any way; and
(5) If on a vessel on an oceans or coastwise route, be orange in color.
(c) At least one ring life buoy must be fitted with a lifeline. If more than one ring life buoy is carried, at least one must not have a lifeline attached. Each lifeline on a ring life buoy must:
(1) Be buoyant;
(2) Be at least 18.3 meters (60 feet) in length;
(3) Be non-kinking;
(4) Have a diameter of at least 7.9 millimeters (5/16-inch);
(5) Have a breaking strength of at least 5 kilonewtons (1,124 pounds); and
(6) Be of a dark color if synthetic, or of a type certified to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light.
(d) At least one ring buoy must be fitted with a floating waterlight, unless the vessel is limited to daytime operation, in that case no floating waterlight is required.
(1) Each floating waterlight must be approved in accordance with § 161.010 in subchapter Q of this chapter, or other standard specified by the Commandant, including, but not limited to, approval series 160.110.
(2) Each ring life buoy with a floating waterlight must have a lanyard of at least 910 millimeters (3 feet) in length, but not more than 1,830 millimeters (6 feet), securing the waterlight around the body of the ring life buoy.
(3) Each floating waterlight installed after March 11, 1997, on a vessel carrying only one ring life buoy, must be attached to a lanyard with a corrosion-resistant clip. The clip must have a strength of at least 22.7 kilograms (50 pounds) and allow the waterlight to be quickly disconnected from the ring life buoy.
Sections it refers to
The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of March 31, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.