Operating While Intoxicated
New York law prohibits anyone from operating while intoxicated—that is, operating any vessel while impaired by or intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and drugs cause impaired balance, blurred vision, poor coordination, impaired judgment, and slower reaction times. Alcohol is a major contributor to boating accidents and fatalities.
New York law sets the following limits on blood alcohol concentration.
- You are considered to be boating while intoxicated if your blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or greater.
- In addition to being subject to the limits above, vessel operators under 21 years of age also are subject to “zero tolerance” penalties. “Zero tolerance” is enforced for minors whose blood alcohol concentration is between 0.02% and 0.07%.
