Personal locator beacon rules: register it, use it only for distress

What the rule means by a PLB

Section 95.2903 defines a Personal Locator Beacon as a small portable transmitter, compliant with all of the rules in the subpart, intended to give individuals in remote areas a way to alert others of an emergency and to help search and rescue personnel locate those in distress. It also defines a Maritime Survivor Locating Device (MSLD) as a device intended to help locate persons in the water. A PLB is not a general radio: the rule ties the name to a compliance package.

Where it transmits and when you may use it

The band 406.0-406.1 MHz is an emergency and distress frequency band available to PLBs, and its use must be limited to distress and safety-of-life communications (section 95.2963). Sections 95.2931 and 95.2933 say the same thing from both sides: PLBs may be used only for transmission of distress and safety of life communications, and must not be used for any other purpose. Practically, that rules out test activations, pranks and "just in case" convenience use. MSLDs have their own rule: they must transmit on at least one of the listed frequencies (121.5, 156.525, 156.750, 156.800, 156.850, 161.975 or 162.025 MHz) or include a function that sends a distress message directly to the U.S. Coast Guard or another search and rescue organization, and their use on land is not authorized.

Registration with NOAA is mandatory

Section 95.2905 requires each PLB owner to register the beacon with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which the rule identifies as the U.S. Program Manager for the 406 MHz COSPAS/SARSAT satellite system, and to tell NOAA about any later change of ownership or other change in registration information. Each PLB is registered by its identification code. The rule encourages online registration through NOAA's beacon registration site, and also allows mailing a completed registration card to the NOAA SARSAT Beacon Registration office in Silver Spring, Maryland. Section 95.2993 calls registration mandatory and keeps the information current in the interest of protecting life and property.

Every 406 MHz PLB must carry a permanent plate or label on the outside with a statement that the owner must register the code with NOAA, and for PLBs whose code can be changed after manufacture the label must be easily replaceable with common tools. Each marketable unit must come with a postage-prepaid registration card with the code printed on it, requesting the owner's name, address, telephone number and an alternate emergency contact, and carrying this warning: failure to register could result in a monetary forfeiture order being issued to the owner.

How a beacon gets certified

Section 95.2987 sets the extra certification steps. Beginning January 17, 2018, before applying for FCC certification of a 406 MHz PLB transmitter type, the applicant must obtain certification from a test facility recognized by one of the COSPAS/SARSAT Partners that the type meets the RTCM 11010 standard, and certification from an independent test facility that it complies with the electrical and environmental standards associated with RTCM 11010. An identification code recognized by NOAA must be programmed into each PLB to give it a unique identity. MSLDs have a separate path: a test report from a laboratory accredited to ISO-IEC 17025, review by the U.S. Coast Guard, and a Coast Guard letter that must accompany the certification application.

What can be sold as a PLB

Section 95.2991 draws the marketing line. No device may be marketed or sold in the United States as a "PLB" or "Personal Locator Beacon" unless it complies with every rule in the subpart. Older approved PLBs that do not meet RTCM 11010 could not be manufactured, imported or sold here from January 17, 2020. The MSLD equivalent applied from January 17, 2018. For a buyer the lesson is simple: a beacon sold in the U.S. as a PLB should be a 406 MHz unit with an identification code that you can register.

A short checklist for an owner

1. Find the identification code on the label and keep the label legible.
2. Register it with NOAA the first time, and update the registration when you sell it, give it away or change a contact detail.
3. Keep the emergency contact current: the registration card asks for one.
4. Use it only when life or safety is at stake.

The rule text says nothing about how to test a beacon safely, so follow the manufacturer's instructions for self-tests rather than a live activation.

Related pages

The same part of the rules covers MURS and GMRS handhelds, which are voice radios, not distress beacons.

Sources

• 47 CFR 95.2987, Additional PLB and MSLD certification requirements (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.2905, PLB registration (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.2931, Permissible use of PLBs and MSLDs (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.2933, Prohibited use of PLBs and MSLDs (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.2963, PLB and MSLD frequency bands (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.2991, PLB and MSLD marketing limitations (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 47 CFR 95.2993, PLB identification plate or label and registration card (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.

Text read: the eCFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations) text of Title 47 as it stood on October 29, 2026, retrieved through the eCFR versioner API on November 2, 2026. The eCFR is an editorial compilation and is not the official legal edition; the Federal Register and the annual CFR are. Rules change, so confirm the current wording on the eCFR before relying on it. This page paraphrases the rule and does not replace it.