It's the Law: Required Equipment

Fire Extinguishers

All vessels with a motor of any type are required to have a Type B fire extinguisher(s) on board. The only exception is a vessel that is of open construction, is less than 26 feet in length, has an outboard engine, and is not carrying passengers for hire.

Approved types of fire extinguishers are identified by the following marking on the label—“Marine Type USCG Approved”—followed by the type and size symbols (B-I or B-II) and the approval number. The “II” in the symbol B-II indicates that this type of fire extinguisher has twice the amount of extinguishing agent as those labeled B-I.

Extinguishers should be placed in an accessible area—not near the engine or in a compartment, but where they can be reached immediately. Be sure you know how to operate them, and inspect extinguishers regularly to ensure they are in working condition and fully charged.

Fire Extinguisher Requirements*
Classification (type & size)	Foam (minimum gallons)	Carbon Dioxide (minimum pounds)	Dry Chemical (minimum pounds)
B-I	1 ¼	4	2
B-II	2 ½	15	10
Length Class		Without Fixed System	With Fixed System**
Less than 26 ft.		one B-I	None
26 ft. to less than 40 ft.		two B-I or one B-II	one B-I
40 ft. to less than 65 ft.		three B-I or one B-II and one B-I	two B-I or one B-II
* see first paragraph on this page for exceptions ** refers to a permanently installed fire extinguisher system

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Online boating safety handbook last modified: March 24, 2009
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