46 CFR 180.71: Life jacket carriage and approval requirements
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section sets how many life jackets a vessel must carry and which kinds are acceptable. A vessel must provide an adult life jacket for each person on board, plus child sizes in the amounts stated. Each life jacket must be approved and marked as the text requires.
What it says
A vessel must provide an adult life jacket for each person carried on board.
46 CFR 180.71(a)“An adult life jacket must be provided for each person carried on board a vessel.”
A vessel must also provide child size life jackets equal to at least 10% of the number of persons permitted on board, or a greater number if needed so each person smaller than the lower size limit of the adult life jackets has one.
46 CFR 180.71(b)“a number of child size life jackets equal to at least 10% of the number of persons permitted on board must be provided”
Child-size life jackets are not required if the vessel's Certificate of Inspection is endorsed for the carriage of adults only.
46 CFR 180.71(b)(1)“Child-size life jackets are not required if the vessel's Certificate of Inspection is endorsed for the carriage of adults only”
When all "extended size" life preservers are carried on board, a minimum of only 5% additional child size devices need be carried.
46 CFR 180.71(b)(2)“a minimum of only 5% additional child size devices need be carried.”
Each lifejacket must be approved under one of the listed approval series in part 160 of this chapter, or under another standard specified by the Commandant.
46 CFR 180.71(c)“Each lifejacket must be approved under approval series in subparts 160.002, 160.005, 160.055, 160.115, 160.176, or 160.255 in part 160 of this chapter, or other standard specified by the Commandant.”
An inflatable lifejacket approved under approval series in subpart 160.255 of part 160 of this chapter must include a full back-up inflation chamber.
46 CFR 180.71(c)“An inflatable lifejacket approved under approval series in subpart 160.255 of part 160 of this chapter must include a full back-up inflation chamber.”
Each life jacket carried on board the vessel must be marked in accordance with § 185.604 of this chapter.
46 CFR 180.71(d)“Each life jacket carried on board the vessel must be marked in accordance with § 185.604 of this chapter.”
Common questions
How many adult life jackets must a vessel carry?
A vessel must provide an adult life jacket for each person carried on board.
“An adult life jacket must be provided for each person carried on board a vessel.”
When are child-size life jackets not required?
Child-size life jackets are not required if the vessel's Certificate of Inspection is endorsed for the carriage of adults only.
“Child-size life jackets are not required if the vessel's Certificate of Inspection is endorsed for the carriage of adults only”
Do inflatable life jackets approved under subpart 160.255 need a back-up inflation chamber?
Yes. An inflatable lifejacket approved under approval series in subpart 160.255 of part 160 of this chapter must include a full back-up inflation chamber.
“An inflatable lifejacket approved under approval series in subpart 160.255 of part 160 of this chapter must include a full back-up inflation chamber.”
How must life jackets on board be marked?
Each life jacket carried on board must be marked in accordance with § 185.604 of this chapter.
“Each life jacket carried on board the vessel must be marked in accordance with § 185.604 of this chapter.”
The text of 46 CFR 180.71
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Lifejackets
(a) An adult life jacket must be provided for each person carried on board a vessel.
(b) In addition, a number of child size life jackets equal to at least 10% of the number of persons permitted on board must be provided, or such greater number as necessary to provide a life jacket for each person being carried that is smaller than the lower size limit of the adult life jackets provided to meet this section, except that:
(1) Child-size life jackets are not required if the vessel's Certificate of Inspection is endorsed for the carriage of adults only; or
(2) When all “extended size” life preservers (those with a lower size limit for persons of 1,195 millimeters (47 inches) in height or weighing 20.4 kilograms (45 pounds)) are carried on board, a minimum of only 5% additional child size devices need be carried.
(c) Each lifejacket must be approved under approval series in subparts 160.002, 160.005, 160.055, 160.115, 160.176, or 160.255 in part 160 of this chapter, or other standard specified by the Commandant. An inflatable lifejacket approved under approval series in subpart 160.255 of part 160 of this chapter must include a full back-up inflation chamber.
(d) Each life jacket carried on board the vessel must be marked in accordance with § 185.604 of this chapter.
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 April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.