Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Alcohol and Drugs
Massachusetts has one of the strongest Boating Under the Influence
(BUI) laws in the nation. Massachusetts law prohibits anyone from
operating any vessel while under the influence of alcohol or any
controlled substance.
Alcohol and drugs cause impaired balance, blurred vision, poor
coordination, impaired judgment, and slower reaction time. Alcohol
contributes to about one-third of all fatal boating accidents nationwide. Read
more about the effects and risks of consuming alcohol.
Massachusetts law states that a person is considered to be boating
under the influence (BUI) if he or she has a blood or breath alcohol
concentration of 0.08% or greater.
Massachusetts law establishes the following penalties for BUI.
- Those convicted of BUI for the first time may be imprisoned
for up to 30 months, fined up to $1,000, or imprisoned and fined.
An offender also may have his or her motor vehicle license and
vessel’s registration revoked for up to one year.
- Repeat offenders will receive more severe penalties.
- Offenders convicted of BUI and causing serious bodily injury
to another person may be imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined
up to $5,000.
By operating a vessel on Massachusetts waters, you have given “implied” consent
to alcohol testing if arrested for boating under the influence.
Anyone who refuses to submit to a blood alcohol level test is subject
to having their motor vehicle license and vessel’s registration
revoked for 180 days.
It is illegal for the owner or operator of a vessel to knowingly
permit it to be operated by someone under the influence of alcohol
or any controlled substance.
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Areas of Impairment Due to Blood Alcohol
Concentration (BAC)
Because you can drink faster than your system can burn
off the alcohol, there is an increasing level of alcohol in your blood.
This level is referred to as Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). |
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