46 CFR 25.25-17: Survival craft on uninspected passenger vessels

Last reviewed: November 2, 2026

This section sets survival craft rules for uninspected passenger vessels of at least 100 gross tons. The vessel must have adequate survival craft with enough capacity for all persons aboard. The craft must be an approved inflatable liferaft or inflatable buoyant apparatus, and small boats may count toward capacity.

Applies toEach uninspected passenger vessel of at least 100 gross tons.

What it says

  1. Each uninspected passenger vessel of at least 100 gross tons must have adequate survival craft with enough capacity for all persons aboard, and must meet one of the listed requirements.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(a)“must have adequate survival craft with enough capacity for all persons aboard and must meet one of the following requirements”

  2. An inflatable liferaft must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subparts 160.051 or 160.151, and have an applicable equipment pack, or be approved by another standard specified by the Commandant.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(a)(1)“An inflatable liferaft must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subparts 160.051 or 160.151, and be equipped with an applicable equipment pack”

  3. Inflatable liferafts must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(a)(1)“Inflatable liferafts must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.”

  4. An inflatable buoyant apparatus must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.010 or under another standard specified by the Commandant.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(a)(2)“An inflatable buoyant apparatus must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.010 or under another standard specified by the Commandant.”

  5. An inflatable buoyant apparatus must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(a)(2)“An inflatable buoyant apparatus must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.”

  6. If the vessel carries small boats, their capacity may be counted toward the required survival craft capacity.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(b)“the capacity of the small boat or boat(s) may be counted toward the survival craft capacity required by this part”

  7. Small boats counted toward capacity must meet the safe loading and floatation requirements in 33 CFR part 183.

    46 CFR 25.25-17(b)“Such small boat or boat(s) must meet the requirements for safe loading and floatation in 33 CFR part 183.”

Common questions

How much survival craft capacity must an uninspected passenger vessel of 100 gross tons or more have?

It must have adequate survival craft with enough capacity for all persons aboard.

“must have adequate survival craft with enough capacity for all persons aboard and must meet one of the following requirements”

Can small boats count toward required survival craft capacity?

Yes. If the vessel carries small boats, their capacity may be counted, but they must meet the safe loading and floatation requirements in 33 CFR part 183.

“Such small boat or boat(s) must meet the requirements for safe loading and floatation in 33 CFR part 183.”

Where must inflatable liferafts be serviced?

Inflatable liferafts must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.

“Inflatable liferafts must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.”

The text of 46 CFR 25.25-17

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

Survival craft requirements for uninspected passenger vessels of at least 100 gross tons

(a) Each uninspected passenger vessel of at least 100 gross tons must have adequate survival craft with enough capacity for all persons aboard and must meet one of the following requirements:

(1) An inflatable liferaft must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subparts 160.051 or 160.151, and be equipped with an applicable equipment pack or be approved by another standard specified by the Commandant. Inflatable liferafts must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.

(2) An inflatable buoyant apparatus must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.010 or under another standard specified by the Commandant. An inflatable buoyant apparatus must be serviced at a servicing facility approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151.

(b) If the vessel carries a small boat or boats, the capacity of the small boat or boat(s) may be counted toward the survival craft capacity required by this part. Such small boat or boat(s) must meet the requirements for safe loading and floatation in 33 CFR part 183.

Sections it refers to

  • 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.051
  • 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.151
  • 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.010
  • 33 CFR part 183

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.