Do you carry signal flares in your bay boat? Mine has expired but are still good. You can keep them in your boat for spares as long as you have some that are Not expired. Be safe out there

I do, but I'm betting there are a lot of people who have not bothered to read the regulations. They are somewhat different for coastal waters than inland lakes and rivers where you are inspected by game wardens and local police.

There is no requirement to carry Visual Distress Signals (VDS) unless you are in Federal waters and waters under USCG authority. 33 CFR 175.110 explains the requirement for VDS. Waters under the control of the USCG are found in the Navigation and Navigable waters section or listed by the US Army COE.

http://media.swf.usace.army.mil/pubdata/environ/regulatory/jurisdiction/navlist.pdf

Some inland areas are considered navigable and do require boaters to carry VDS kits.

Read TPWD Water Safety Act........Boating Equipment Section

That's a good read, but it only covers state requirements for inland waters. If you on the coast, the CG regulations supersede them.

Here is what I will use from now on. A USCG approved electronic flare. Never have to deal with expiration dates again.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|135|2290132|2290134&id=2896900

I have a mounted ACR SM-2

I like the ACR ok, but it is limited to 3 miles and the W&P SOS is rated at 10 miles.