§ 53151 Boating Under Influence Liability

Government Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

Key Takeaways

•If you drink alcohol or take drugs and then drive a boat badly, you have to pay for any emergency help (like police or ambulances) that comes because of it.
•If you do something really bad on purpose (like crashing a boat) and emergency helpers have to come, you have to pay for their help.
•This law is about making people pay for the cost of emergencies they cause while drunk, high, or acting badly on a boat.

Example

You drink beer while driving a boat, crash into a dock, and the police and fire department have to come to help.

Because you were drunk and caused the crash, you have to pay for the police and fire department’s time and work.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 53151 Boating Under Influence Liability

Any person who is under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug, whose negligent operation of any boat or vessel caused by that influence proximately causes any incident resulting in an appropriate emergency response, and any person whose intentionally wrongful conduct proximately causes any incident resulting in an appropriate emergency response, is liable for the expense of an emergency response by a public agency to the incident. (Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 337, Sec. 1.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

influence boat vessel emergency accident if someone operation

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Government Code. Section 53151.

§ 53151 Boating Under Influence Liability

Government Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 53151 Boating Under Influence Liability

Key Takeaways

•If you drink alcohol or take drugs and then drive a boat badly, you have to pay for any emergency help (like police or ambulances) that comes because of it.
•If you do something really bad on purpose (like crashing a boat) and emergency helpers have to come, you have to pay for their help.
•This law is about making people pay for the cost of emergencies they cause while drunk, high, or acting badly on a boat.

Example

You drink beer while driving a boat, crash into a dock, and the police and fire department have to come to help.

Because you were drunk and caused the crash, you have to pay for the police and fire department’s time and work.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 53151 Boating Under Influence Liability

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

influence boat vessel emergency accident if someone operation

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Government Code. Section 53151.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References