Trade Advice Document

Recreational craft (boats etc)

Essential information for suppliers of recreational craft, including UKCA / CE marking

This guidance is for England, Scotland and Wales

A recreational craft is any boat, of any type, regardless of its means of propulsion; its hull must be no less than 2.5 m and no more than 24 m, and it must be intended for sports and leisure purposes.

As a manufacturer, importer or distributor of recreational craft there are certain obligations you must fulfil before you place the recreational craft, personal water craft (such as jet skis) or propulsion engine on the market. A recreational craft must meet all the essential requirements of the Recreational Craft Regulations 2017 when it is placed on the market.

All recreational craft are required to be UKCA / CE marked. For more information see 'UKCA / CE marking'.

OFFICE FOR PRODUCT SAFETY AND STANDARDS GUIDANCE

The Office for Product Safety and Standards has produced guidance on the Regulations, which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

TRADING STANDARDS

For more information on the work of Trading Standards services - and the possible consequences of not abiding by the law - please see 'Trading Standards: powers, enforcement and penalties'.

IN THIS UPDATE

No major changes.

Last updated: September 2023

Key legislation

Recreational Craft Regulations 2017

Please note

This information is intended for guidance; only the courts can give an authoritative interpretation of the law.

The guide's 'Key legislation' links may only show the original version of the legislation, although some amending legislation is linked to separately where it is directly related to the content of a guide. Information on changes to legislation can be found on each link's 'More Resources' tab.

The county council is not responsible for this information.