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NMMA 2024 Certification Reminders and SAE Standards Updates

| NMMA Certification

As the leading certification body for the recreational boating industry in the U. S., NMMA Certification impacts the recreational marine industry worldwide, helping to improve boat manufacturing and ensuring safe, high-quality products for consumers throughout the world. The NMMA Engineering team is dedicated to product safety and supporting our members as they work towards achieving certification.

For the 2024 Model Year, there are several upcoming deadlines for certification completion. All requirements must be fulfilled by the date noted below:

 

  • All inspections must be completed by February 20.
  • Variations Responses: within 30 days of report date/120-day max with a requested extension.
  • Exams must be completed by June 30 of the new model year.

Please log into the NMMA ECT portal here to review the certification checklist to monitor your progress.

Exams are available to all participating manufacturers’ employees. To register for the annual exams, please reach out to Melissa Taylor at [email protected].

The Personal Watercraft (PWC) committee met in January to review the recently updated SAE standards governing the NMMA certification program. As a result of the meeting, the NMMA certification program will adopt the five updated SAE standards, as well as two additional standards covering the Display of Capacity Information and Maximum Velocity for the 2025MY.

In addition, NMMA will offer a joint inspection opportunity by adopting the ISO 13509 standard to align with the US Coast Guard’s recent equivalency recognition.

Beginning with the 2025MY, the standards will be used to validate compliance:

  • SAE J1973 Personal Watercraft—Floatation (2023-02)
  • SAE J2034 Personal Watercraft—Ventilation Systems (2023-03)
  • SAE J2046 Personal Watercraft—Fuel Systems (2023-02)
  • SAE J2120 Personal Watercraft—Electrical Systems (2023-02)
  • SAE J2608—Off Throttle Steering and Obstacle Avoidance Capabilities (2023-02)
  • SAE J2566 Personal Watercraft—Display of Capacity Information (2023-08)
  • SAE J2882—Maximum Speed of Personal Watercraft (2023-12)
  • ISO 13590 Personal watercraft—Construction and system installation requirements (Optional)

The updated SAE standards can be purchased directly through the SAE website here.

The ISO 13590 standard is available in the ABYC Standards Library. Access to the Standards Library can be purchased by contacting ABYC.

Please email Scott Berry at [email protected] or Chad Keskitalo at [email protected] with any questions.