Operating a Personal Watercraft While Intoxicated or Drunk
Alcohol is a factor in 24 percent of all fatal motorboat accidents in California. State law specifies that:
1. No person shall operate any vessel, water skis or similar device while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs. No person who is addicted to any drug shall operate any vessel, water skis or similar device.
2. No person 21 years of age or older shall operate any vessel, water skis or similar device who has .08% or more, by weight, of alcohol in their blood. A level of at least .05% but less than .08% may be used with other evidence in determining whether the person was under the influence of alcohol. A person under 21 years of age or older who has been arrested for operating a mechanically propelled vessel “under the influence” may be requested to submit to a chemical test to determine blood-alcohol content. Refusal may result in increased penalties upon conviction. A person convicted of operation of vessel while intoxicated could receive up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
3. No person under 21 years of age may operate a vessel, water skis or similar device who has .01% or more, by weight, of alcohol in their blood. Penalties may include a fine of up to $250, and participation in an alcohol education or community service program.
