Technology in boats and their propulsion systems continue to evolve. Boat capacity labels haven’t seen a significant design change since 1980. The standards that support maximum capacity and labeling of boats recently went through a rigorous technical review. The result is newly designed boat capacity labels that improve comprehensibility and displays additional guidance for both the industry and consumers.
With the range of outboard types on the market, the weight for a given horsepower engine can vary widely. The revised ABYC S-7 Boat Capacity Label for outboard boats provides a maximum outboard motor running weight. This additional rating confirms the designed engine weight on the transom.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has issued a policy letter recognizing ABYC S-7 2026 as an equivalent level of safety to the current regulations. View it on the USCG policy page: safeafloat.com/policies-letters.
This new policy gives boat builders the option to use the revised label as an alternative to the label required by 33 CFR 183 Subpart B. Boat manufacturers can start using the new design capacity label as of July 15, 2026. The revised July 2026 publication of S-7 can be found on the ABYC online library.
Example of new label for outboard powered boat under 20’
