46 CFR 185.726: Annual inspection of lifesaving equipment

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets yearly inspection duties for rescue boats, launching appliances and other lifesaving equipment. Rescue boats must be stripped, cleaned and inspected, and launching appliances inspected, at least once each year. Expired equipment and certain batteries must be replaced during the annual inspection.

What it says

  1. Each rescue boat must be stripped, cleaned, thoroughly inspected and repaired as necessary at least once each year, including emptying and cleaning each fuel tank and refilling it with fresh fuel.

    46 CFR 185.726(a)“Each rescue boat must be stripped, cleaned, and thoroughly inspected, and any necessary repairs made at least once each year”

  2. Each davit, winch, fall and other launching appliance must be thoroughly inspected, and any necessary repairs made, at least once each year.

    46 CFR 185.726(b)“Each davit, winch, fall and other launching appliance must be thoroughly inspected, and any necessary repairs made, at least once each year.”

  3. Each item of lifesaving equipment with an expiration date must be replaced during the annual inspection and repair if the expiration date has passed.

    46 CFR 185.726(c)“Each item of lifesaving equipment with an expiration date must be replaced during the annual inspection and repair if the expiration date has passed.”

  4. Each battery used in lifesaving equipment, except inflatable survival craft equipment, must be replaced during the annual inspection if its expiration date has passed.

    46 CFR 185.726(d)“Each battery used in an item of lifesaving equipment, except inflatable survival craft equipment, must be replaced during the annual inspection if the expiration date of the battery has passed.”

  5. The expiration date of a battery may be marked on it, or the owner or managing operator may have a manufacturer's record of the date for a battery marked with a serial number.

    46 CFR 185.726(d)“The expiration date of the battery may be marked on the battery or the owner or managing operator may have a record of the expiration date from the manufacturer of a battery marked with a serial number.”

  6. Except for a storage battery used in a rescue boat, a lifesaving equipment battery must be replaced during the annual inspection if it has no expiration date marked on it or the owner or managing operator has no record of its expiration date.

    46 CFR 185.726(e)“Except for a storage battery used in a rescue boat, each battery without an expiration date indicated on it or for which the owner or managing operator does not have a record of the expiration date”

Common questions

How often must a rescue boat be inspected?

A rescue boat must be stripped, cleaned, thoroughly inspected and repaired as necessary at least once each year.

“Each rescue boat must be stripped, cleaned, and thoroughly inspected, and any necessary repairs made at least once each year”

What must be done with the fuel tanks of a rescue boat during the annual inspection?

Each fuel tank must be emptied and cleaned, and then refilled with fresh fuel.

“including emptying and cleaning of each fuel tank, and refilling it with fresh fuel.”

Must expired lifesaving equipment be replaced at the annual inspection?

Yes. Each item of lifesaving equipment with an expiration date must be replaced during the annual inspection and repair if the date has passed.

“Each item of lifesaving equipment with an expiration date must be replaced during the annual inspection and repair if the expiration date has passed.”

The text of 46 CFR 185.726

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Annual inspections

(a) Each rescue boat must be stripped, cleaned, and thoroughly inspected, and any necessary repairs made at least once each year, including emptying and cleaning of each fuel tank, and refilling it with fresh fuel.

(b) Each davit, winch, fall and other launching appliance must be thoroughly inspected, and any necessary repairs made, at least once each year.

(c) Each item of lifesaving equipment with an expiration date must be replaced during the annual inspection and repair if the expiration date has passed.

(d) Each battery used in an item of lifesaving equipment, except inflatable survival craft equipment, must be replaced during the annual inspection if the expiration date of the battery has passed. The expiration date of the battery may be marked on the battery or the owner or managing operator may have a record of the expiration date from the manufacturer of a battery marked with a serial number.

(e) Except for a storage battery used in a rescue boat, each battery without an expiration date indicated on it or for which the owner or managing operator does not have a record of the expiration date, used in an item of lifesaving equipment, must be replaced during the annual inspection.

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.