New registration requirements for Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) have now come into force (15 April 2026).

All existing and new PLBs carried on board UK-flagged vessels, hovercraft and mechanically propelled watercraft must now be registered. 

These requirements bring PLBs in line with the registration rules that have applied to Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) for the past 26 years. 

Owners can register their devices – free of charge – with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) via the MCA’s beacon registry. When PLBs are discarded or change ownership, the new details must also be updated on the registry. 

HM Coastguard can use the details supplied, such as emergency contacts, to gain crucial information to support rescue efforts and send the best resources to help. 

False alarms can be traced more efficiently too, keeping rescue teams on readiness for real emergencies and avoiding unnecessary missions into potentially dangerous conditions. 

UK Distress & Security Beacon Registry Manager Linda Goulding said: “The benefit of registering your PLB is simple: it gives you – and everyone you’re with – a headstart to being rescued from an emergency.

“The registration process is free, takes just 15 minutes, and could make the difference between life or death. You can do it at no cost online... HM Coastguard will react to every beacon alert we receive. Registering your PLB helps us quickly work out when it’s a false alarm with no one in danger, or to focus our resources when people are in real distress and need our help”.

You can register a PLB or EPIRB with the UK Beacon Registry.

Find more information about EPIRBs and PLBs.