How to Prepare for a Free Vessel Safety Check

Ways to find an examiner:

• safetyseal.net: the USCG FAQ says to choose "I want a VSC" and enter your ZIP code to find nearby examiners.
• cgaux.org/vsc: the request page that BoatUS points boaters to.
• The U.S. Coast Guard mobile app, which includes a free boating safety check request and a safety equipment checklist.
• Your local Auxiliary flotilla or America's Boating Club squadron, or look for VSC days at launch ramps, marinas and boat clubs, which are common in spring.

BoatUS notes you can also make an appointment for an examiner to come to your boat, and that exams typically take under an hour. Marinas and clubs can ask the local units to hold a VSC day on their property. In its 2026 release BoatUS describes the check as a 15- to 30-minute inspection that can be done at your dock, in your driveway or at your marina, so a trailer boat at home qualifies too. March is promoted as Vessel Safety Check Month, a good time to book before the spring rush.

Go through steps 3 to 12 a week or two before the exam, so you have time to buy anything that is missing or expired. Write down your boat's length and where you boat (inland lake, river, coastal water or the Great Lakes); many requirements change with length and location. Check your state boating agency too: the examiner checks state requirements as well as federal ones, for the state where the exam happens.

• Registration (or Coast Guard documentation) aboard and current
• Registration numbers and the state validation decal displayed the way your state requires: usually on both sides of the forward half of the boat, in plain block letters that contrast with the hull (check your state's size and spacing rules)
• Documented boats: name and hailing port marked as the documentation rules require

One USCG-approved, wearable life jacket for each person, in good condition, the right size, and readily accessible (out of the plastic bags, not locked away). Children's sizes for any kids. Inflatables must be armed, with a full cylinder and a green indicator. Boats 16 feet and over also need a throwable device that is immediately available. See the USCG safety equipment and inflatable PFD guides.

The right number and type for your boat, mounted and easy to reach, with gauges in the green, pins and seals in place, and disposable units no older than the limit printed in the rules (date on the bottle). Boats model year 2018 and newer need the newer-style ratings. See the fire extinguisher guide.

• On coastal waters and the Great Lakes, carry the required day and night signals and check the expiration dates on flares (see the flares guide).
• Carry a horn or whistle that works; test it.

The examiner will ask you to turn on your running lights and anchor light. Test them the night before, carry spare bulbs and fuses, and see the navigation lights guide if any are dim or dead.

• Vent hoses connected and not crushed; the blower runs and you can feel air at the outside vent.
• The backfire flame arrestor is in place, tight and clean. Outboards with portable tanks usually do not have these, but enclosed fuel or engine spaces do. See the bilge blower guide.

Portable tanks in good shape, with tight caps, no leaks, and secured so they cannot slide; permanent tank fills, vents and hoses free of leaks and cracks; no fuel smell. A fuel leak is a stop-and-fix item, not a fix-list item (see "Safety first").

• Batteries secured so they cannot move, with the positive terminals covered.
• Circuits protected by fuses or breakers, wiring in good condition with no bare or cracked insulation, and switch panels protected from spray.
• If your boat has an engine cut-off switch, show that it stops the engine, and wear the lanyard or wireless fob when running (see the kill switch guide).

Examiners also look at overall condition: no fire hazards, a reasonably clean bilge, sound visible hull structure, and an engine that does not exceed the horsepower on the capacity plate. Clean the bilge, remove oily rags and spare fuel cans stored in enclosed spaces, and make sure the bilge pump works.

Depending on length and use, you may also need: an oil discharge placard and a MARPOL garbage placard (26 feet and over), a copy of the Navigation Rules (39.4 feet and over), and a Coast Guard approved marine toilet with the discharge secured where required. Examiners commonly also look at, or recommend, an anchor and line suited to your waters, a way to remove water (a pump plus a manual bailer), and a first aid kit. Some states require items like these, so check your state's rules.

Have the boat clean and accessible, with everything stowed where it normally lives (the examiner wants to see that gear is reachable, not piled on the dock). Have the battery charged so you can show lights, horn, blower and bilge pump working. Bring your registration. Ask questions: examiners are volunteers who like talking safety.

• Passed: the examiner applies the decal for that year. The decal is tied to the year it is issued, so plan a new check each season.
• Did not pass: there is no penalty. Use the written evaluation as your fix list, replace or repair each item, and ask for a recheck. BoatUS calls this a road map for passing next time.
• Save the date and results in BoatMend, along with expiry dates for flares, extinguishers and inflatable life jacket service, so you get reminders.