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FINDINGS LIBRARY · GAS AND SAFETY

Expired EPIRB battery, hydrostatic release or registration: how surveyors check and write it up

UPDATED 10 NOVEMBER 2026 · 3 EXAMPLE FINDINGS · 2 SOURCES

What to check on an EPIRB on survey: battery expiry, the hydrostatic release date, registration, the bracket and the lanyard, with the service intervals and three example findings graded A, B and C.

AT A GLANCE
EPIRB expired
USUAL GRADE
A for an EPIRB with an expired battery or release, or not registered, on a boat going offshore. B for a battery or release due within the season, or registration not matching the boat. C for no test record on a beacon in date
FOUND WITH
Reading the labels for the battery and hydrostatic release dates, the registration sticker and details, the bracket, the casing for cracks and water, and the lanyard
JUDGED AGAINST
The maker's dates on the labels. US 406 MHz beacons must be registered with NOAA; the UK's MCA treats registration as a legal requirement
REPAIR COST
A battery service at an approved service centre. A new hydrostatic release. A registration update

An EPIRB is the beacon that tells rescuers where you are. It does that only if the battery and release are in date and the registration points to the right boat and people. All of it is written on labels a surveyor can read.

What to check

Battery. Frank Lanier, in Southern Boating, says battery life for most units is five years, and it must be replaced on or before the label's date, or after the beacon has been activated. The UK's MCA guidance has shore-based maintenance, with a new battery, at intervals of no more than five years.

Hydrostatic release. On a float-free bracket, the release frees the beacon when the boat sinks. Lanier says HRUs expire every two years. The MCA's annual checks include the release and its expiry date, and a bracket that allows unimpeded float-free operation.

Registration. Lanier says US-coded beacons must be registered with NOAA, and an EPIRB is registered to a specific vessel. The MCA calls registration a legal requirement. After a sale it's often still in the previous owner's name.

The unit. The MCA's list includes cracks in the casing and water ingress, and a lanyard that isn't tied to the boat or the bracket, so it can't drag the beacon down.

What decides the grade

Whether it would work today. An expired battery or release, or no registration, on a boat going offshore is an A. Dates due within the season, or registration in the wrong name, are a B. A beacon in date with no test record is a C.

EPIRB expired: example findings

The same defect written up at each grade, the way Axsail writes it from what the surveyor says on board. The grade follows what was found, so use these as wording, then grade what you see.

SAFETY EQUIPMENTA
EPIRB, float-free bracket on the pushpit

Battery expiry date passed 8 months ago. Hydrostatic release also expired.

Recommendation: Have the battery replaced by an approved service centre and fit a new release before the vessel goes offshore.

SAFETY EQUIPMENTB
EPIRB

Registration sticker shows the previous owner's details and vessel name.

Recommendation: Update the registration to the new owner and vessel before the vessel is next used offshore.

SAFETY EQUIPMENTC
EPIRB

Battery and release in date. No record of self-tests.

Recommendation: Self-test to the maker's instructions and keep a record.

ASafety. Safety or compliance deficiency. Fix before the vessel is next underway.
B12 months. Deficiency that needs timely attention. Fix within about 12 months.
CRoutine. Note or observation, cosmetic or maintenance. Routine maintenance at the owner's convenience.

What servicing involves

Job Notes
Battery replacement At an approved service centre, per Lanier; it's not a DIY job
New hydrostatic release Fitted to the bracket, date noted
Registration update NOAA in the US, or the national registry
Self-test To the maker's instructions; Lanier suggests monthly checks

Photos to take

The battery label, the release date, the registration sticker and the bracket. With Axsail, read the dates out as you photograph them.

Writing it up

Give the make, the battery expiry, the release expiry, the registration details shown and where it's mounted. Say whether it was self-tested.

Frequently asked

How long does an EPIRB battery last?

Frank Lanier in Southern Boating says battery life for most units is five years, with some newer models longer. It must be replaced on or before the label's date, and after the beacon has been activated. The MCA's guidance has shore-based maintenance at intervals of no more than five years.

How often does an EPIRB hydrostatic release need replacing?

Lanier says HRUs expire every two years. Read the date on the release itself.

Does an EPIRB need to be registered?

Yes. Lanier says federal law requires US-coded EPIRBs to be registered with NOAA, and the registration is tied to a specific vessel. In the UK, the MCA calls registration a legal requirement. Update it when the boat changes hands.

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Standards it's judged against

REAL DECRETO 1434/1999 (SPAIN)

Real Decreto 1434/1999, reconocimientos e inspecciones de las embarcaciones de recreo

Spain's compulsory inspections of recreational boats, often called the ITB: which boats need periodic and intermediate inspections and how often, the certificado de navegabilidad, what the inspector checks, what counts as a serious deficiency and the two months to put it right.

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CROATIA VESSEL REGISTER AND TECHNICAL INSPECTION RULES

Pravilnik o brodicama, čamcima i jahtama, and the Ordinance on the Vessel Register

Who inspects boats and yachts in Croatia and how often: the harbourmaster for boats, the Croatian Register of Shipping for yachts over 15 m, the two-year and five-year periodic inspections, extraordinary inspections, and the CE rule for boats built before June 2000.

What surveyors check

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