Washington Boating
Laws & Regulations

A person is considered to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug if

• The person has 0.08 grams or more of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of breath, as shown by analysis of the person's breath
• The person has 0.08% or more by weight of alcohol in the their blood as shown by analysis of their blood
• The person is deemed to be under the influence of or affected by intoxicating liquor or any drug.

The penalties for boating under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or drugs include the following:

If convicted of an offense:

• Imprisonment in a county jail for up to 90 days
• Fines of up to $1,000

The operator may also be subject to the payment of compensation for any damages or injuries which may have occurred as a result of the offense.

• Homicide by watercraft - When an individual involved in a boating accident dies as a result of injuries incurred during that accident within three years following the accident the operator of the vessel implicated may be charged with homicide by watercraft if:
  • They were found to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs (or any combination of the two)
  • They are determined to have acted in a reckless manner which resulted in the accident
• Assault by Watercraft - When an individual involved in a boating accident experiences serious bodily injury such as risk of death, permanent disfigurement, or loss of function of a part of the body or organ the operator of the vessel implicated may be charged with assault by watercraft if:
  • They were found to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs (or any combination of the two)
  • They are determined to have acted in a reckless manner which resulted in the accident

Boaters are required to respond to any law enforcement officer's request to stop his or her boat when asked to do so by said officer. It is illegal to elude law enforcement officers.

Any new or used motor driven boat or vessel, other than open motorboats with outboard engines and personal watercraft, sold within Washington State must display a carbon monoxide warning sticker on the interior of the vessel.

• Non-motorized vessels including sailboats under 16 feet in length.
• Vessels currently registered in another state or country using Washington waters for up to 60 consecutive days.

• Vessels measuring less than 16 feet in length propelled by a motor that is no greater than 10 horsepower operated exclusively on non-federal waters.

Note: By law, any new or used motor vessel, other than a Jet Ski type personal watercraft, must display a sticker that warns passengers of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Note: Sticker should be provided when you renew or register, or by the boat manufacturer or previous owners. If they do not receive one, you may contact your local vehicle licensing office.

The decal which is provided to you by the state must be displayed aft of the registration numbers on both sides of the vessel.

Lack of the correct documentation will result in delays and fines.

Make sure all boats are properly marked and documented. It's important to keep your papers with the boat – be particularly aware when transferring ownership of your vessel.

Of the species listed under the Endangered Species act, 42% are listed as a result of the deliberate or accidental introduction of non-native species into a new habitat.

Both plants and animals are spread in a variety of ways: through commercial shipping ballast water, introduction through aquarium water disposed of incorrectly, through plants and animals from landscaping/nurseries, introduction from hitchhiking on cargoes, and transported by recreational boaters.

The introduction of non-native species into Washington's waters is a problem which affects everyone. Introducing non-native species into Washington can upset the balance of the ecosystem, hurting the environment. When transported into new waters, these organisms proliferate, displacing native species, damage the water resource, damage the sports and commercial fisheries, damage Washington's large shellfish industry, pose a threat to industrial and public drinking water supplies, can weaken and damage banks and levees by burrowing into them, as well as prey on salmon and sturgeon eggs.

Always do a walk-around inspection after cleaning the prop area and bottom of the hull at the launch area before leaving with your boat. Where available, pressure washing the hull and motor parts exposed to the water is advised. Note that some species especially zebra mussels get into tight areas and may be over looked.

You can help prevent the introduction and spread of non-native species from one body of water to another.

• Inspect your boat and remove aquatic plants or animals before you leave any body of water.
• Flush raw-water cooling systems and clean sea strainers before moving your boat from one body of water to another.
• Empty bait buckets and remove any plant fragments from bait wells, fishing gear, trailers, dive gear or props. Dispose of the plant fragments on land, in a garbage receptacle.
• Drain water from your motor, live wells and bilge.
• Wash your boat before putting it into a new body of water
• Report any new infestation of non-native aquatic species to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

There are three species of invasive sea squirts present at various Marina's in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. This has become a real as well as a critical issue.

One animal is a colonial tunicate called Didemnum; the other two are solitary tunicates that have taken over certain areas to the exclusion of other species.

• The Didemnum infestations are currently in British Columbia in the areas surrounding Okeover Inlet and Vancouver Island. The smallest piece of the colony (a half inch square or less) can reproduce and form a new colony.

• The second sea squirt is Styela clava, and has very heavy infestations at Pleasant Harbor, Neah Bay, and Blaine. It tends to get on docks, boats, aquaculture lines and cages. It is really nasty, and reproduces rapidly. Anyone who spends more than a day or two in those harbors needs to have their boats cleaned.

• The third species, Ciona saviginy, may be moved on boats - it is present at Eagle Harbor and Des Moines marinas. We are seeing it taking over geoduck beds on S. Hood Canal. We don't know as yet how much of the canal is infested, or how the tunicate got there.

• The operator as well as all passengers on a PWC must be wearing an inherently buoyant U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II, or III PFD.
• When towing someone on a tube or on water skis, there must be capacity on the PWC to accommodate the operator, the observer as well as the tuber/skier(s).
• PWCs must stay at a distance of 200ft from other water skiers or others being towed behind a vessel.
• PWCs must operate at slow-no wake speed, maximum 5 mph limit when:
  • Within 200ft of a swimmer, surfer, diving flag, bank or wading angler, dock, swim float, boat launch, ramp, pier, marina, floating home, moorage area, or boathouse;
  • Within 100ft of any anchored or non-motorized vessel; or
  • Within 200ft of shoreline on all lakes, reservoirs, and bays.

• PWC operators in Washington State must not exceed 10mph when approaching within 100ft of a motorized or sailing vessel that is underway.
• A person shall not operate a PWC in a reckless manner including weaving through congested traffic, recklessly jumping the wake of another boat unreasonably or unnecessarily close to the boat, or when visibility around the boat is obstructed. A person shall not recklessly swerve at the last possible moment to avoid a collision i.e. ‘spraying’ another boater.
• A person shall not lease, hire or rent a personal watercraft to a person under the age of sixteen.

Hours of Operation: Personal watercraft may not be operated during hours of darkness (sunset to sunrise).

Age Requirements: PWC operators in the state of Washington must be at least fourteen (14) years of age.