"Steve" wrote in message
news:2RqLe.269$5U2.245@lakeread07...
I now have TWO full canisters of expired flares, both hand held and 12
gauge, with expiration dates that make them old enough to buy booze. I
keep
the flares that are up to 3 years expired for backups, just in case,
behind
the canisters of the unexpired flares.

I've asked 3 fire departments, 3 police officers, the USCG Auxiliary and
the
USPS (Power Squadron, not the post office) and all I get is "I don't
know..." or, one fire department told me to take them out on the
Chesapeake
Bay and fire them horizontally, preferably at Bayliners.

What do YOU do?

Whatever you do.............do not carry them on board as spares. I have
read stories (including here at rec.boats) about folks being ticketed by the
USCG for carrying expired flares, even though they were only backups to
their current ones.

Go figure.