DNR reminds boaters not to Drink and Boat

Georgia law is clear: don’t drink and boat.

Piloting a boat under the influence on waters like Lake Hartwell could land party-goers in jail, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR asks boaters to do three things: be courteous on the lake, wear your life jacket and don’t drink and boat. In Georgia, it is a crime to BUI: boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The state has stiff penalties for a person piloting a boat if his or her blood-alcohol content is 0.08 or higher – the same limit for operating a motor vehicle on the state’s roadways.

The state’s legal alcohol limit for boat drivers was 0.10 until Senate Bill 136 tightened the rules on boating and increased the penalties for those caught boating drunk.

Those arrested for boating under the influence will be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $1,000 and/or jail time up to one year, according to the Georgia Boat Safety Act.

Those under the age of 21 and that are above the alcohol limit of .02 are also considered under the influence by the DNR.

Despite the laws, accidents still occur when drinking and boating mix together. 

HB 172, which allows “floating under the influence,” was passed by the Georgia legislature earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal on May 3. 

The law changes the state’s boating laws, making drinking a beer on an inflatable raft close to shore on a non-flowing body of water legal and differentiating it from boating under the influence.

There are no hours of operation for lakes and rivers. Someone can operate a boat on a lake at any time, as long as the boat lights are turned on at night. Personal watercraft, such as jet skis, are not allowed before sunrise or after sunset.

Know where your life jacket is. The DNR says there must be one Coast Guard-approved life jacket for every passenger on a boat over 16 feet long. Every passenger under 13 years old must wear a life jacket at all times on any moving boat unless the child is in an enclosed boat cabin.

For more information regarding Lake safety visit Georgia DNR’s website at gadnr.org/boating