Engine Cut-Off Switch (ECOS)

Alabama law requires that vessels that are less than 26 feet in length and are capable of developing 115 pounds (3 horsepower) or more of static thrust be equipped with an engine cut-off switch (ECOS). The operator must use an ECOS link while operating on plane or above displacement speed.

Federal law requires operators of recreational vessels less than 26 feet in length to use the ECOS if the vessel is equipped with such a device. This federal rule applies to only federally navigable waters such as the following:

• Tennessee River and its impoundments
• Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
• Coastal waters including the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and all navigable tributaries, creeks, and branches
• Chattahoochee River up to Eufaula
• Alabama River up to a certain point