Modernized lighting standards for small passenger vessels for USA – what boat owners and builders need to know

Recently on 8th Jan 2026 - The U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Center has updated the lighting requirements for small passenger vessels, making compliance easier and more flexible for designers, builders, and operators. Earlier the lighting fixtures on these vessels had to meet old standards that were no longer actively maintained, which made finding approved components difficult. To fix this, the Coast Guard expanded the range of lighting standards it will accept and clarified them in its public guidance.

Under the new guidance, emergency interior lights can use UL 924 fixtures, and interior non-emergency lighting can use any suitable fixtures for their intended purpose. Additionally, modern navigation lighting standards like EN 14744 and the American Boat & Yacht Council’s ABYC C-5 are now accepted for small passenger vessel navigation lights, offering up-to-date alternatives to outdated benchmarks. These updates are reflected in the “Lighting” section of Plan Review Guide E2-23, helping the U.S. small passenger vessel fleet save on costs and enjoy greater design freedom without sacrificing safety.

Source – Department of Homeland Security USA

 Image Credit - AI