May 2026 Column PYROTECHNIC VS. ELECTRONIC FLARES By Capt. John N.Raguso
There’s a growing groundswell in the boating industry urging regulators to re-evaluate the need for pyrotech- nic devices and to replace these in the form of some modern alternatives, like electronic flares, a.k.a. Electronic Visual Distress Signaling Devices (eVDSDs). In today’s marketplace, where a formidable array of reliable electronic safety tools and advanced modern alerting and locating systems are available, the time has come where eVDSDs, or electronic flares, are the logical, affordable, safer and more robust alternative History Lesson
According to Google’s all-knowing AI genie, the first electronic flares received USCG approval back in 2015 under 46 CFR 161.013, provid- ing a reusable, non-pyrotechnic alternative for nighttime signaling. These approved LED eVDSDs were required to flash the SOS signal and were to be paired with an orange distress flag for daytime signaling to replace traditional pyrotechnic flares. In December 2018, the Coast Guard officially adopted the RTCM 13200.0 standard for eVDSDs, broadening acceptance to devices that could meet the new performance criteria. In May 2025, the USCG announced its own transition to elec- tronic flares for its fleet, effective April 1, 2026, which is expected to normalize their use and widen the approval for standalone electronic devices that do not require a separate flag. USCG Requirements for Day and Night Distress Signals
According to USCG regs, all boats used on coastal waters, including the Great Lakes, the territorial seas and those waters directly connected to the Great Lakes and the territorial seas, up to a point where the waters are less than two miles wide, and boats owned in the United States when operating on the high seas must be equipped with visual distress signals (check with your state for any exceptions).
Boaters must have current dated US Coast Guard-approved day and night signals for all boats operating on coastal and open bodies of water. Federal requirements are as follows: • For boats under 16' in length: Distress signals are only required when operating between sunset and sunrise. If operating at night, one electric distress light or three combination day/night red flares are required. • For boats 16' in length or greater: One orange distress flag and one electric distress light; or three hand-held or floating orange smoke signals and one electric distress light; or three combination day/night red flares; hand-held, meteor or parachute type are required.
Old School Pyrotechnic flares raise issues for user safety and the environment and create problems on land with disposal, trans- portation and storage. Despite the accessibility of advanced technology, the mandatory carriage of pyrotechnic flares persists. There is still Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements. Even for boats which do not by law have to carry flares or other life-saving equipment, pyrotechnic flares remain the recommended solution for distress signaling. Leisure boat owners can still face a potential fine in some countries if they have out-of-date flares onboard.
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