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RSMo 577.013effective 28 Aug 2016

Boating while intoxicated

In plain English

It is against the law in Missouri to drive a boat while drunk or intoxicated. The punishment depends on how many times a person has done it before and whether anyone got hurt. First-time offenders face a minor charge, but repeat offenders or those who hurt or kill someone face much more serious charges, up to a felony. Judges are limited in how lenient they can be — for example, repeat offenders must serve real jail time before they can get parole or probation.

Penalties named in this law
class B misdemeanorup to 6 months in jail
class A misdemeanorup to 1 year in jail
class E felonyup to 4 years in prison
class D felonyup to 7 years in prison
class C felony3–10 years in prison
class B felony5–15 years in prison
class A felony10–30 years or life in prison

Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.

Word-for-word law

577.013. Boating while — sentencing . — 1. A person commits the of boating while intoxicated if he or she operates a while in an .

2. The offense of boating while intoxicated is:

(1) A ;

(2) A if:

(a) The is a ; or

(b) A person less than seventeen years of age is present in the vessel;

(3) A if:

(a) The defendant is a ; or

(b) While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acts with to cause to another person;

(4) A if:

(a) The defendant is an ;

(b) While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acts with criminal negligence to cause physical injury to a or emergency personnel; or

(c) While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acts with criminal negligence to cause to another person;

(5) A if:

(a) The defendant is a ;

(b) While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acts with criminal negligence to cause serious physical injury to a law enforcement officer or emergency personnel; or

(c) While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acts with criminal negligence to cause the death of another person;

(6) A if:

(a) The defendant is a ; or

(b) While boating while intoxicated, the defendant acts with criminal negligence to cause the death of a law enforcement officer or emergency personnel;

(7) A if the defendant is a as a result of being of an act described under paragraph (d) of (12) of section 577.001 and is found guilty of a of such paragraph.

3. the of 2 of this section, a person found guilty of the offense of boating while intoxicated as a first offense shall not be granted a :

(1) Unless such person shall be placed on for a minimum of two years; or

(2) In a where a or created under section 478.007 or other is available, and where the offense was committed with fifteen-hundredths of one percent or more of alcohol in such person's blood, unless the individual participates in and successfully completes a program under such DWI court or docket or other court-ordered treatment program.

4. If a person is found guilty of a second or subsequent offense of boating while intoxicated, the court may the person to submit to a period of or verifiable breath alcohol testing performed a minimum of four times per day as a condition of probation.

5. If a person is not granted a suspended imposition of sentence for the reasons described in subsection 3 of this section:

(1) If the individual operated the vessel with fifteen-hundredths to twenty-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in such person's blood, the required term of imprisonment shall be not less than forty-eight hours;

(2) If the individual operated the vessel with greater than twenty-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in such person's blood, the required term of imprisonment shall be not less than five days.

6. A person found guilty of the offense of boating while intoxicated:

(1) As a prior boating offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic boating offender or habitual boating offender shall not be granted a suspended imposition of sentence or be sentenced to pay a fine a term of imprisonment, section 557.011 to the contrary notwithstanding;

(2) As a prior boating offender shall not be granted or probation until he or she has a minimum of ten days imprisonment:

(a) Unless as a condition of such parole or probation such person performs at least two hundred forty hours of under the supervision of the court in those jurisdictions which have a program for community service; or

(b) The participates in and successfully completes a program established under section 478.007 or other court-ordered treatment program, if available;

(3) As a shall not be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of thirty days imprisonment:

(a) Unless as a condition of such parole or probation such person performs at least four hundred eighty hours of community service under the supervision of the court in those jurisdictions which have a recognized program for community service; or

(b) The offender participates in and successfully completes a program established under section 478.007 or other court-ordered treatment program, if available;

(4) As an aggravated boating offender shall not be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of sixty days imprisonment;

(5) As a chronic or habitual boating offender shall not be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of two years imprisonment; and

(6) Any probation or parole granted under this subsection may include a period of continuous alcohol monitoring or verifiable breath alcohol testing performed a minimum of four times per day.

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Source & history notes

(L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1371, A.L. 2015 S.B. 254, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2332) Effective 1-01-17

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Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.

RSMo 577.013: Boating while intoxicated | KnowMo Laws