View all text of Subpart C [§ 117.70 - § 117.78]

§ 117.71 - 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 160.002, 160.005, 160.055, 160.155, 160.176, or 160.255 in subchapter Q of this chapter, or other standard specified by the Commandant. An inflatable lifejacket approved under approval series 160.255 must include a full back-up inflation chamber.

(d) Each life jacket carried on board the vessel must be marked in accordance with § 122.604 of this chapter.

[CGD 85-080, 61 FR 911, Jan. 10, 1996, as amended by CGD 97-057, 62 FR 51047, Sept. 30, 1997; CGD 85-080, 62 FR 51350, Sept. 30, 1997; USCG-2015-0867, 80 FR 62469, Oct. 16, 2015; USCG-2023-0759, 89 FR 22949, Apr. 3, 2024; USCG-2022-0120, 89 FR 97387, Dec. 6, 2024]