# less than 16 feet in length — Recreational boat safety equipment requirements by vessel length

For less than 16 feet in length, visual distress signal requirement is Between sunset and sunrise, visual distress signals suitable for night use must be on board; cfr section is § 175.110, recorded from its source on 2026-08-25; source re-checked 2026-09-01.

- **Vessel length band:** less than 16 feet in length _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Visual distress signal requirement:** Between sunset and sunrise, visual distress signals suitable for night use must be on board _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **CFR section:** § 175.110 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> § 175.110 Visual distress signals required. (a) No person may use a boat 16 feet or more in length, or any boat operating as an uninspected passenger vessel subject to the requirements of <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-I> 46 CFR chapter I , subchapter C, unless visual distress signals selected from the list in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-175.130> § 175.130 or the alternatives in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-175.135> § 175.135 , in the number required, are onboard. Devices suitable for day use and devices suitable for night use, or devices suitable for both day and night use, must be carried. (b) Between sunset and sunrise, no person may use a boat less than 16 feet in length unless visual distress signals suitable for night use, selected from the list in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-175.130> § 175.130 or <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-175.135> § 175.135 , in the number required, are on board.

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/chapter-I/subchapter-S/part-175/subpart-C

Last verified: 2026-09-01. Review by: 2027-08-25.
Part of [Recreational boat safety equipment requirements by vessel length](https://referencesource.org/recreational-boat-safety-equipment-requirements-by-length/).