New Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) reg. 2025 now in force, revised MSN 1874 amendment available

The new Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 entered into force on 5 January 2026, and the revised MSN 1874 Amendment 11 is now available.

Information for: Manufacturers, designers, yards, and owners of UK-flagged vessels.

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NEED TO KNOW

  • The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 establish the UK system for marine equipment conformity, replacing the 2016 regulations and clarifying requirements for approval, marking and compliance.
  • MSN 1874 Amendment 11 updates the UK marine equipment approval standards

Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1280)

The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 set out the UK conformity assessment system for marine equipment placed on ships registered in the UK. It requires, subject to some limited exceptions, such equipment to be compliant with applicable international or UK standards.

Furthermore, it also explains how such equipment should be assessed for compliance with applicable standards, and it details the offences and other sanctions for non-compliance. This legal instrument aims to simplify marine equipment regulations by consolidating and combining regulatory changes into one piece of legislation, and to provide clarity for industry players. It revokes and replaces the former Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1025).

Besides other topics, the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 regulate the following:

  • UK conformity approval, the obligations of a UK-approved body
  • Declarations of UK conformity
  • Affixing the UK conformity mark
  • Authorized representatives

These regulations have been in force since 5 January 2026.

Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1874 (M+F) Amendment 11

Additionally, a revised MSN 1874 Amendment 11 has been introduced and replaces the former Amendment 10.

This notice provides technical details and guidance on the procedures required to obtain type approval in compliance with applicable regulations. It also provides information on the UK’s policy for enforcing these requirements, as well as other standards applicable to equipment installed on board UK ships.

Annex I of the MSN 1874 Amendment 11 sets out the design, construction and performance requirements and testing standards for marine equipment, for which approval by an approved body is required in accordance with Regulation 5.

Manufacturers are requested to compare the conformity of their products with the design, construction and performance requirements, as well as with the testing standards, of the currently valid Annex I of MSN 1874 Amendment 11.

Products for which changed requirements and testing standards are introduced may require new or additional tests.

With this new Amendment 11, new or updated type approval, carriage or performance requirements as well as updated testing standards have been introduced. These are indicated by the description “NEW ROW” in the first column.

Example:

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Certification and Declaration of Conformity

Manufacturers need to have valid MER certification (Module B+D, B+E, B+F or G certificates) in order to be allowed to place their products on the UK market. At the end of the production phase, the manufacturer confirms product conformity by affixing the UK conformity mark on the product and issuing a Declaration of Conformity.

Since 5 January 2026, MER certificates can be issued by DNV’s approved body according to the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 and MSN 1874 Amendment 11 after a positive outcome of the conformity assessment procedure.

Recommendations

DNV recommends that its customers review and familiarize themselves with the Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025 and MSN 1874 (M+F) Amendment 11.

References