REGISTER YOUR EPIRB AND PLB

Whether you purchased a new EPIRB or PLB (known collectively as SARSAT beacons), or want to have a unit reassigned, you need to register it with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to enable rescue agencies to identify the beacon owner and the boat, and hasten the response time.

The fastest way to register is online at beaconregistration .noaa.gov. It’s free, but you need to complete the online form with the beacon’s 15-character unique identifier, along with your name, address, email and phone number, and primary and alternate emergency contacts.

Since an EPIRB belongs to a boat (not to a person, as a PLB does), you need to describe the boat, including the type, size, usage, name, color, registration or documentation number, and home port. The form also asks you to list the communication equipment on board, such as a VHF and the MMSI (maritime mobile service identity). You can also add boat information to the PLB registration.

A hard copy of the registration and a registration decal will be mailed to you within two weeks. When you receive these documents, confirm the label agrees with the information on the beacon. If so, affix the decal in the marked area on the beacon.

Beacon registrations need to be renewed every two years, or whenever ownership or the boat on which an EPIRB resides changes. NOAA will notify you via email when renewal is due. It can be completed quickly online at beaconregistration.noaa .gov, and you’ll receive a new decal to replace the old one.