2010 Georgia Code
TITLE 52 - WATERS OF THE STATE, PORTS, AND WATERCRAFT
CHAPTER 7 - REGISTRATION, OPERATION, AND SALE OF WATERCRAFT
ARTICLE 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 52-7-12 - Operation of watercraft while under influence of alcohol or drugs; legal drug use not exempted; blood and other chemical tests; test refusal; owner's liability for allowing another to operate while intoxicated; civil and criminal actions; child endangerment

O.C.G.A. 52-7-12 (2010)
52-7-12. Operation of watercraft while under influence of alcohol or drugs; legal drug use not exempted; blood and other chemical tests; test refusal; owner's liability for allowing another to operate while intoxicated; civil and criminal actions; child endangerment


(a) No person shall operate, navigate, steer, or drive any moving vessel, or be in actual physical control of any moving vessel, nor shall any person manipulate any moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device while:

(1) Under the influence of alcohol to the extent that it is less safe for the person to operate, navigate, steer, drive, manipulate, or be in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device;

(2) Under the influence of any drug to the extent that it is less safe for the person to operate, navigate, steer, drive, manipulate, or be in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device;

(3) Under the combined influence of alcohol and any drug to the extent that it is less safe for the person to operate, navigate, steer, drive, manipulate, or be in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device;

(4) The person's alcohol concentration is 0.10 grams or more at any time within three hours after such operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device from alcohol consumed before such operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control ended; or

(5) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section, there is any amount of marijuana or a controlled substance, as defined in Code Section 16-13-21, present in the person's blood or urine, or both, including the metabolites and derivatives of each or both without regard to whether or not any alcohol is present in the person's breath or blood.

(b) The fact that any person charged with violating this Code section is or has been legally entitled to use a drug shall not constitute a defense against any charge of violating this Code section; provided, however, that such person shall not be in violation of this Code section unless such person is rendered incapable of operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device safely as a result of using a drug other than alcohol which such person is legally entitled to use.

(c) Upon trial of any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person while operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, evidence of the amount of alcohol or drug in a person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance at the alleged time, as determined by a chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substances, shall be admissible. Where such chemical test is made, the following provisions shall apply:

(1) Chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance, to be considered valid under this Code section, shall have been performed according to methods approved by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and by an individual possessing a valid permit issued by the Division of Forensic Sciences for this purpose. The Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is authorized to approve satisfactory techniques or methods to ascertain the qualifications and competence of individuals to conduct analyses and to issue permits, which shall be subject to termination or revocation at the discretion of the Division of Forensic Sciences;

(2) When a person shall undergo a chemical test at the request of a law enforcement officer under subsection (e) of this Code section, only a physician, registered nurse, laboratory technician, emergency medical technician, or other qualified person may withdraw blood for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content therein, provided that this limitation shall not apply to the taking of breath or urine specimens. No physician, registered nurse, laboratory technician, emergency medical technician, or other qualified person or employer thereof shall incur any civil or criminal liability as a result of the medically proper obtaining of such blood specimens when requested in writing by a law enforcement officer;

(3) The person tested may have a physician or a qualified technician, chemist, registered nurse, or other qualified person of his or her own choosing administer a chemical test or tests in addition to any administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer. The justifiable failure or inability to obtain an additional test shall not preclude the admission of evidence relating to the test or tests taken at the direction of a law enforcement officer; and

(4) Upon request of the person who shall submit to a chemical test or tests at the request of a law enforcement officer, full information concerning the test or tests shall be made available to such person or such person's attorney. The arresting officer at the time of arrest shall advise the person arrested of his or her rights to a chemical test or tests according to this Code section.

(d) Upon the trial of any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person while operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device while under the influence of alcohol, the amount of alcohol in the person's blood at the time alleged, as shown by chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance, shall give rise to the following presumptions:

(1) If there was at that time an alcohol concentration of 0.05 grams or less, it shall be presumed that the person was not under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section;

(2) If there was at that time an alcohol concentration in excess of 0.05 grams but less than 0.08 grams, such fact shall not give rise to any presumption that the person was or was not under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section, but such fact may be considered with other competent evidence in determining whether the person was under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section;

(3) If there was at that time an alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams or more, it shall be presumed that the person was under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section; and

(4) If there was at that time or within three hours after operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device from alcohol consumed before such operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or being in actual physical control ended an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more grams, the person shall be in violation of paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this Code section.

(e) The State of Georgia considers that persons who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs while operating a vessel on the waters of this state constitute a direct and immediate threat to the welfare and safety of the general public. Therefore, any person who operates a vessel upon the waters of this state shall be deemed to have given consent, subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section, to a chemical test or tests of his or her blood, breath, or urine or other bodily substances for the purpose of determining the alcoholic or drug content of his or her blood if arrested for any offense arising out of acts alleged to have been committed while the person was operating, navigating, steering, driving, manipulating, or in actual physical control of a moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard, or similar moving device while under the influence of alcohol or any drug. The test or tests shall be administered at the request of a law enforcement officer having reasonable grounds to believe that the person has been operating or was in actual physical control of a vessel upon the waters of this state while under the influence of alcohol or any drug. Subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section, the requesting law enforcement officer shall designate which of the aforesaid tests shall be administered.

(f) Any person who is dead, unconscious, or otherwise in a condition rendering him or her incapable of refusal shall be deemed not to have withdrawn the consent provided by subsection (e) of this Code section, and the test or tests may be administered subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section.

(g) If a person refuses, upon the request of a law enforcement officer, to submit to a chemical test designated by the law enforcement officer as provided in subsection (e) of this Code section, no test shall be given; however, such refusal shall be admissible in evidence.

(h) In the event of a boating accident involving a fatality, the investigating coroner or medical examiner having jurisdiction shall direct that a chemical blood test to determine blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or the presence of drugs be performed on the dead person or persons and that the results of such test be properly recorded in his or her report.

(i) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any vessel knowingly to allow or authorize any person to operate such vessel or to manipulate any water skis, aquaplane, surfboard, or similar device being towed by such vessel when the owner knows or has reasonable grounds to believe that said person is intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs in violation of this Code section.

(j) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person in violation of subsection (k) of this Code section, if there was at that time or within three hours after operating, navigating, steering, driving, or being in actual physical control of a moving vessel or personal watercraft from alcohol consumed before such operating, navigating, steering, driving, or being in actual physical control ended an alcohol concentration of 0.02 grams or more in the person's blood, breath, or urine, the person shall be in violation of subsection (k) of this Code section.
(k)(1) A person under the age of 21 shall not operate, navigate, steer, drive, or be in actual physical control of any moving vessel, moving water skis, moving aquaplane, moving surfboard or similar moving device, or personal watercraft while the person's alcohol concentration is 0.02 grams or more at any time within three hours after such operating, navigating, steering, driving, or being in actual physical control from alcohol consumed before such operating, navigating, steering, driving, or being in actual physical control ended.

(2) No plea of nolo contendere shall be accepted for any person under the age of 21 charged with a violation of this Code section.

(l) A person who violates this Code section while transporting in a moving vessel or personal watercraft or towing on water skis, an aquaplane, a surfboard or similar device a child under the age of 14 years is guilty of the separate offense of endangering a child by operating a moving vessel or personal watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The offense of endangering a child by operating a moving vessel or personal watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs shall not be merged with the offense of operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs for the purposes of prosecution and sentencing. An offender who is convicted of a violation of this subsection shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of Code Section 16-12-1, relating to the offense of contributing to the delinquency, unruliness, or deprivation of a child.