# Kill Switch Lanyards and the ECOS Rule (2026): Who Must Wear One > Who the federal engine cut-off switch law covers (under 26 feet, about 3 hp, on plane), how to check your boat's HIN, and spare and wireless lanyards. - Source: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule - Publisher: SaltProofLab (https://saltprooflab.com) - Published: 2026-09-29 - Category: life-jackets-safety - Tags: kill switch lanyard, engine cut-off switch, ECOS law, wireless kill switch, boating safety, outboard lanyard - Method: picks chosen from Amazon listings and brand specs; not hands-on tested; current Amazon prices are on the page; content checked 2026-09-29. - Quick answer: If your boat is under 26 feet, has an engine cut-off switch and makes about 3 hp or more, federal law says clip the link on whenever you are on plane. Keep a spare: the Attwood 7-key set or the Sea-Dog 7-key lanyard. For NMEA 2000 boats, the OLAS N2K adds a wireless cut-off. ## Key takeaways - Idling and docking are exempt: the Coast Guard says the link must be attached on plane or above displacement speed. - Characters 11 and 12 of the hull identification number give the model year; 2021 or later means an ECOS must be installed. - If a switch is present, including a wireless one you added yourself, the Coast Guard says it must be used. ## Products (chosen from listings, not tested) 1. **Attwood 7591-6 Universal Kill Switch Key Set** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule#product-B003EET2H6) — Buy it if you run more than one outboard brand or keep a spare aboard. - Pros: Seven keys for Johnson, Evinrude, Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, Tohatsu and Honda switches, per the listing; Coiled lanyard with a swivel snap hook to limit tangling; Stainless steel crimps on a rubberized line - Cons: Listing gives no stretched length, so check it reaches your normal helm position 2. **Sea-Dog 420495-1 7-Key Universal Lanyard Kill Switch** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule#product-B0082AMVRK) — Buy it if your switch brand is on the key list and you want a stated length. - Pros: Seven keys for Johnson, Evinrude, Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Tohatsu, Suzuki and Nissan switches, per the listing; 50 in long; injection-molded nylon and Delrin - Cons: Listing says nothing about the clip, so check it holds on your belt or life jacket 3. **EXPOSURE OLAS N2K Wireless Engine Shut Off System** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule#product-B0DFF41MV2) — Buy it if your boat has NMEA 2000 and you want no cord between you and the helm. - Pros: Works as a man-overboard alarm, a wireless engine kill switch, or both, per ACR; Tracks up to 25 OLAS transmitters on vessels up to 100 ft; saves the MOB position to the plotter; Sold by ACR Electronics, the maker - Cons: Needs a NMEA 2000 network and wearable OLAS tags; installation is on you or your dealer The federal engine cut-off switch rule turns a lanyard most boaters already own into something they have to use. Whether it applies to you comes down to three facts about your boat and one about how you're driving it; after that, the only decisions are a spare lanyard and whether to go wireless. **How we chose:** we did not test these; picks come from the listings and ACR's product page, sold by Amazon.com or the maker and in stock on September 29, 2026. ## Three ways to meet the rule | Product | Type | Fits (per listing or maker) | Sold by | Amazon price | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Attwood 7591-6](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule#product-B003EET2H6) | Coiled lanyard, 7 keys | Johnson, Evinrude, Mercury, Yamaha, Suzuki, Tohatsu, Honda | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [Sea-Dog 420495-1](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule#product-B0082AMVRK) | Lanyard, 7 keys, 50 in | Adds Nissan; drops none of the above | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [EXPOSURE OLAS N2K](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule#product-B0DFF41MV2) | Wireless cut-off and MOB alarm | Boats with NMEA 2000 | ACR Electronics | see the current Amazon price on the page | The OLAS details are from [ACR's OLAS N2K page](https://www.acrartex.com/products/exposure-olas-n2k/). ## What the law says The Coast Guard's [engine cut-off switch page](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/engine-cut-off-devices.php) says the law took effect on April 1, 2021 and applies to "Covered Recreational vessels", which it defines as "any motorized boat with 3 or more horsepower that is less than 26 feet in length." The operator rule is one sentence: an operator "shall use an engine cut-off switch link while operating on plane or above displacement speed." The same page says the law applies on all "Navigable Waters of the US." The link is usually "a coiled bungee cord lanyard clipped onto the operator's person, Personal Floatation Device (PFD) or clothing", and "electronic wireless devices" count too. ## Does it apply to your boat? The Coast Guard's [ECOS FAQ](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/engine-cut-off-switch-faq.php) fills in the details. The horsepower test is 115 pounds of static thrust, "which equates to about 3 horsepower." Boats 26 feet and over are exempt "regardless of when it was built," and so is any boat whose main helm is inside an enclosed cabin. Age matters for installation, not use. The FAQ says switches had to be installed on covered boats built from January 2020. An older boat without one needn't add one. But "if an engine cut-off switch is present, it must be used," including a wireless system you fitted yourself. To date your boat, the FAQ points to the hull identification number on the starboard side of the transom. Characters 11 and 12 are the model year: 19 or lower needs no switch, 21 or later does. A model-year 20 boat needs one if characters 9 and 10 read A0 through G0, the certification months January through July 2020. ## When you can unclip Not every minute at the helm counts. The FAQ says the link "doesn't need to be attached when the vessel is idling or performing docking maneuvers" and must be attached "whenever the boat is operating on plane or greater than displacement speed." It defines on plane as the point where the hull rides over its bow wave instead of pushing through it. For anglers, that means you can unclip while trolling slowly or working a drift, and clip on before you open the throttle to run to the next spot. ## Why it's worth wearing The Coast Guard's reason is the propeller. Its FAQ says a boat can make turns sharp enough to throw the operator out, and an unmanned boat "can often start traveling in circles" at the point where that happened. Its cut-off page adds that a three-blade propeller at 3,200 rpm "can inflict 160 impacts in one second." The [2024 recreational boating statistics](https://www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2024.pdf) counted 169 incidents in which at least one person was struck by a propeller, causing 30 deaths and 158 injuries. ## Corded lanyard or wireless A coiled lanyard is cheap and simple, and most switches came with one. The weak points are forgetting to clip on, and a cord that snags when you move around the console to fight a fish. A spare in the console saves a trip when the original goes overboard or stays in the truck. Both spares here carry seven keys for different engine brands, per their listings. The **Sea-Dog** states a 50 in length; the **Attwood** does not. Check that your switch brand is on the list before you rely on one. **Key point:** test any lanyard at the dock. Clip it on, start the engine, pull the key, and confirm the engine stops. A wireless system replaces the cord with a tag you wear. ACR says the [OLAS N2K](https://www.acrartex.com/products/exposure-olas-n2k/) shuts the engine off if the operator falls overboard, can track tags on passengers too, and saves the man-overboard position to a chartplotter over NMEA 2000. On a boat without NMEA 2000 it is not the right unit. ACR's standalone OLAS Guardian and Fell Marine's MOB+ are wireless alternatives for boats without that network, but when we checked, Amazon offered both only through third-party sellers, so they are not linked. Generic lanyards from sellers we could not match to a brand were left out too. ## After the lanyard Clipping the link to a life jacket only helps if the jacket is worn. Our [inflatable vs foam life jackets guide](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/inflatable-vs-foam-life-jackets) covers which jackets count toward the carriage rule only when worn, and a [personal locator beacon](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/personal-locator-beacons) on that jacket is what calls for help if you end up in the water alone. Related: [phone cases rated for immersion](https://saltprooflab.com/dry-storage/waterproof-phone-cases) for the phone you'd otherwise lose with the lanyard. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### My 1995 boat's switch was removed years ago. Do I have to fix it? No, but the Coast Guard's [ECOS FAQ](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/engine-cut-off-switch-faq.php) recommends repairing it and using it on plane anyway. The same answer applies to a pre-2020 boat whose switch is broken. ### Does the law cover sailboats with an engine? Only under 26 feet. The FAQ says a boat 26 feet or longer does not have to use a cut-off switch even if equipped, and that sailboats generally cannot get on plane because of their displacement hulls. ### Does it apply to government boats? No. The Coast Guard says the laws apply only to recreational vessels, so law enforcement and other government-owned boats are not covered. ### Who had to install the switches? Manufacturers, distributors and dealers. The FAQ says the installation rule, passed in 2018, applies to them for covered boats built from January 2020, and the owner must then keep the switch in working condition for the life of the boat. --- *SaltProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.* ## Sources - acrartex.com: [ACR's OLAS N2K page](https://www.acrartex.com/products/exposure-olas-n2k) - U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: [Engine cut off devices.php](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/engine-cut-off-devices.php) - U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: [ECOS FAQ](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/engine-cut-off-switch-faq.php) - U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: [2024 recreational boating statistics](https://www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2024.pdf) --- Last updated: 2026-09-29 Canonical URL: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule How to cite: "Kill Switch Lanyards and the ECOS Rule (2026): Who Must Wear One", SaltProofLab, https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kill-switch-lanyards-ecos-rule (checked 2026-09-29). Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate SaltProofLab earns from qualifying purchases. Safety information summarizes public guidance and is not medical advice.