The Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code

A Unified Framework for Small Commercial Craft

In a significant modernisation of maritime safety regulations, the Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code came into force on 12 December 2025, consolidating and replacing the older “colour” codes and related guidance that previously governed small vessels in commercial use for sport or pleasure.

Published by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, this 281-page Code of Practice provides a single, coherent framework for design, construction, equipment, operation, and certification of eligible vessels. By bringing together disparate regulatory strands into one structured regime, the Code is intended to improve safety, clarify requirements, and support innovation in vessel technology and environmental performance.

What the Code Is and Why It Was Introduced

The new Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code replaces multiple legacy standards that have been in place for decades, including:

• The Yellow Code (Safety of Small Commercial Motor Vessels)

• The Blue Code (Safety of Small Commercial Sailing Vessels)

• The Red Code (Small Commercial Sport or Pleasure Vessels from a Nominal Departure Point)

• The Intended Pleasure Vessel (IPV) Code

• Elements of MGN 280 (Technical Annex standards)

Under the Merchant Shipping (Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure) Regulations 2025, the new Code provides legal effect to these consolidated safety standards and introduces modernised requirements aligned with current maritime practice, technological advances, and environmental priorities.

Which Vessels Must Comply

The Code applies primarily to small vessels under 24 metres load line length that are in commercial use for sport or pleasure and operate at sea, carry no cargo, and carry no more than 12 passengers. Both UK-registered vessels and non-UK-registered vessels operating from UK ports in UK waters fall within the scope of the Code.

Excluded from the Code are vessels such as:

• Vessels engaged in underwater operations

• Hovercraft

• Vessels carrying cargo

• Workboats and rescue craft, which are regulated under separate codes (e.g. the Workboat Code or Rescue Boat Code)

  
  

Transitional Arrangements: Old Codes and Existing Vessels

For industry clarity and fairness, the MCA has provided transitional arrangements for vessels currently certified under the older codes. Existing vessels with valid certificates under the Blue, Yellow, Red, or IPV Codes — or equivalent standards referenced in MGN 280 — do not have to immediately comply with the new Code in full. Instead, they must meet the new requirements by their next renewal examination, or within three years of the Code’s entry into force (whichever is later).

It’s important to note that once an existing vessel transitions to the Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code regime, it must comply fully with the new Code and may not cherry-pick elements from the old standards.

Key Changes and Modernisation

Although retaining many core safety principles of its predecessors, the new Code introduces several important enhancements:

• Unification of requirements that previously varied by vessel type or use case

• Clearer survey, inspection and certification rules, improving operational transparency

• A regulatory structure that embraces alternative fuels and electric or hybrid propulsion, supporting environmental progress and innovative vessel design

• Updated life-saving, fire safety, and navigational equipment standards

• Inclusion of modern safety management systems and operational practices

  
  

What This Means for the Sector

The implementation of the Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code marks a step change in how small commercial leisure vessels are regulated in the UK. Operators, owners, designers, and surveyors now have access to a single reference point that reflects contemporary safety thinking and maritime technology. While the transition will require careful planning and compliance effort, the new unified code is designed to be more logical and future-proof than the patchwork it replaces.

Plymouth Marine Solutions provides expert vessel compliance services across the UK, supporting operators with everything from the development of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and ISM documentation to bespoke marine consultancy solutions. Find out more here: https://www.plymouthmarinesolutions.com/vesselcompliance