About the National Recreational Boating Safety Surveys (NRBSS)
The NRBSS – comprised of a Participation and an Exposure survey – is the U.S. Coast Guard’s method for estimating the totality of recreational boating in the U.S. and generating associated risk measures in accordance with the goals of the National RBS Strategic Plan. The surveys have been conducted periodically since 1973, with the most recent taken in 2018. The next is the 2026 National Recreational Boating Safety Survey and is the focus of the action described below.
[Click here for links to the 2018 survey reports, 2022 and 2023 webinars, explorations of the findings and methodologies of past surveys, and more information about the 2026 survey as it becomes available.]
******See UPDATES below******
Federal Register Notice--Coast Guard Action on the Survey
On Sept. 4, 2024, the Coast Guard published a 60-day Notice in the Federal Register stating its intent to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of 1625-0089 National Recreational Boating Safety Survey (NRBSS) (reinstatement with change); and inviting public comments on the utility and other aspects of the data before submitting the ICR. The deadline for submitting comments to Docket USCG-2024-0734 at www.regulations.gov was Nov. 4, 2024. Comments submitted during the 60-day review period must be adjudicated by the Coast Guard, with responses (including explanation of any resulting modifications to the collection) published in a subsequent 30-day notice.
Additional information
The docket at www.regulations.gov (USCG-2024-0734) has two supplemental documents that make up the supporting statements for the extension and approval of the collection (https://www.regulations.gov/search?filter=USCG-2024-0734). One (part A) provides the justification for the collection; the second (part B) describes the statistical methods (sampling methods, survey protocols, etc.) planned for the Exposure and Participation components of the NRBSS.
The draft survey instruments are not posted to Docket USCG-2024-0734. Assuming the collection is approved by OMB and moves to a final round of consideration, the instruments are expected to be posted to www.reginfo.gov (Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)/OMB). OIRA reviews all information collection requests and, when it reaches this stage, typically there is one additional opportunity for public comment on the forms under its consideration. Any updates on the approval process will be posted to this page.
NASBLA’s Engineering, Reporting & Analysis Committee (ERAC) coordinated a submission on behalf of the association based on work it has undertaken in consultation with the Coast Guard and its efforts on this survey. The NASBLA submission is posted below. However, individual states, organizations, and other stakeholders for the information gathered through the exposure and participation components--especially those that have used past survey results or hope to use the future findings--were strongly encouraged to submit comments to the docket. That included, among other aspects, speaking to their specific need for and/or value of the information and/or any feedback on the administration and methodologies described in the supporting documents.
NASBLA Comments to Docket, Nov. 1, 2024
---------------------------------------------------------------------
**UPDATES**: On Dec. 9, 2024, the Coast Guard published the 30-day notice indicating that it was forwarding the information collection request to OMB/OIRA, Since the comments posted to the 60-day notice were supportive, no changes were made to the collection. Comments to the Coast Guard in response to the 30-day notice were to be submitted by Jan. 8, 2025 to www.regulations.gov at docket USCG-2014-0734 and/or to OIRA at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain (reference 1625-0089). The comment period closed, but submission of the package to OIRA was delayed.
On March 27, 2025, the ICR (reference 1625-0089), which includes copies of the proposed exposure and participation survey instruments, was posted to OMB/OIRA (https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain). This initiated a 30-day public comment period during with OMB will receive and review all submitted comments, and is the final step toward achieving OMB approval of the collection.
NASBLA, through ERAC, submitted a comment on April 23, 2025, which included both the November 2024 letter and additional comments resulting from committee discussions of the methodology and draft questionnaires. However, in evaluating information collection requests like this, OMB/OIRA also seeks evidence of individual state and other stakeholders' supportive comments, examples of experiences with the past surveys or plans for future uses, and other feedback that might improve the surveys' utility.
page last updated April 25, 2025