Expanded marine accident investigation powers and reporting duties to cover watercraft and their users.

This Order extends marine accident investigation and reporting requirements to watercraft, such as jet skis, by amending the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023.

It grants authorities the power to investigate watercraft accidents under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and requires persons using watercraft to comply with accident reporting regulations previously applicable only to ships.

The Order applies to the entire United Kingdom and affects any individual or organisation operating watercraft eligible for UK registration.

The 2026 Regulations updated and consolidated mandatory registration requirements for EPIRBs and PLBs on UK vessels, repealed prior legislation, and established enforcement mechanisms including ship detention.

These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State on March 18, 2026, update and consolidate the requirements for registering Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) carried on UK ships and hovercraft, coming into force on April 15, 2026.

The legislation revokes the previous EPIRB registration regulations, specifies that registration particulars must align with Merchant Shipping Notice 1924 (M+F), establishes penalties including fines and imprisonment for non-compliance by owners and masters, and grants powers to detain ships found in contravention.

Furthermore, the instrument makes consequential amendments to other regulations, including applying these new registration rules to watercraft.

The UK enacted the Merchant Shipping (Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure) Regulations 2025, which consolidated prior rules, defined survey and certification procedures based on vessel size using specific Codes of Practice, established dispute resolution mechanisms, clarified certificate validity periods, and set out enforcement powers for non-compliance.

These Regulations update and consolidate the legal framework governing merchant vessels used in commercial activities related to sport or pleasure, applying to UK vessels globally and other seagoing vessels in UK waters, excluding those carrying more than twelve passengers or pleasure vessels not engaged commercially.

The legislation details specific survey and certification requirements based on vessel size (large vessels subject to the REG Code, small vessels subject to the SCV Code), establishes appeal processes including arbitration for survey disputes, outlines certificate validity and conditions for cancellation, sets out operational requirements, and defines offenses and detention powers for enforcement against non-compliant vessels.