SERIOUS PENALTIES
Utah law prohibits a person under the influence of alcohol or drugs to operate a boat. This is enforced in two ways:
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If the person is under the influence of alcohol or any drug or the combined influence of alcohol and any drug to a degree, which renders the person incapable of safely operating a vessel; and/or,
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Utah's legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level is .08 grams per liter. Alcohol concentration in the blood shall be based upon grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, and alcohol concentration in the breath shall be based upon grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.
Conviction of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) may result in the loss of your motor vehicle driver license, a fine, mandatory jail sentence, community service work, and rehabilitation assessment.
The operator of a motorboat may not have an open container of an alcoholic beverage while the boat is in operation.
Anyone under the age of 21 may not have any measurable amount of alcohol in his or her body in order to operate a motorized vessel.
A person operating a boat on Utah waters is considered to have given consent to take any chemical test requested by a peace officer who feels the person has been operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Refusal to take a chemical test is admissible in any civil or criminal action or proceeding, and may result in the loss of your motor vehicle driver license.
The arresting officer can seize and impound the offender's boat, trailer and tow vehicle.
