On The Water
ORS 830.325 — boating under the influence is a Class A misdemeanor and a year off the water
Under the influence. A person under the influence of intoxicating liquor, cannabis, psilocybin, an inhalant or a controlled substance may not operate, propel or be in actual physical control of any boat on Oregon waters, and an owner or person in charge may not knowingly let such a person operate one. A violation is a Class A misdemeanor.
A year off the water. On conviction, the court also orders the person not to operate a boat for one year, orders a classroom boating safety course, and has the person's boating safety education card suspended for one year. Operating a boat in violation of that order is a Class A misdemeanor.
Implied consent. Anyone who operates a boat on Oregon waters is deemed to consent to a breath test, and to a urine test for other substances, if arrested for boating under the influence, after being told of the rights and consequences. A urine sample is given in private.
Life jackets. Every boat carries at least one Coast Guard approved personal flotation device of an appropriate size for each person on board, readily accessible and not locked away. On waters rated class III or higher, the operator and every passenger wears one.
Reckless boating is also a Class A misdemeanor, and failing to carry flotation devices is a Class D violation. Testing procedures and the consequences of refusing are set out in sections not reproduced here. Questions about a particular stop on the water are for a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (5)
- ORS 830.325 — Operating boat while under influence of intoxicants
- ORS 830.990 — Penalties
- ORS 830.994 — Additional penalties for violation of ORS 830.325
- ORS 830.505 — Implied consent to chemical tests for intoxicants
- ORS 830.215 — Personal flotation devices
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.