Can you drink a beer while driving a boat in North Carolina? What to know about BUI laws

Summer is kicking into gear across North Carolina, and that means numerous folks hitting the water from the coast to the state’s lakes and rivers.

And for many, getting out on the water on a hot summer day also means indulging in an adult beverage.

But similar to when you’re on the road, getting behind the wheel of a boat after drinking alcohol or doing drugs can pose serious safety risks and come with criminal penalties. And the state’s boating while impaired law actually applies to more than just boating.

Here’s what to know about North Carolina’s boating while under the influence laws:

North Carolina boating while impaired law

North Carolina has a law against boating “while under the influence of an impairing substance” as well as boating “in a reckless or negligent manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person.”

A person is in violation of the law “after having consumed sufficient alcohol that the person has, at any relevant time after the boating, an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more,” the law says.

The statute applies to anyone operating “any motorboat or vessel” as well as anyone using water skis, a surfboard or a “similar device” on the water.

Is boating while under the influence a felony in North Carolina?

Violations of North Carolina’s BWI law are a class two misdemeanor, per the state statute.

If convicted, you face a possible fine of “not less than” $250, the statute says.

You could also be sentenced to community service and — “if you have a prior record” — possibly jail time, the Charlotte-based Olsinski Law Firm notes.