Florida BUI Laws 2026: Boating Under the Influence Penalties, BAC Limits & What You Need to Know

01 /The Call That Changed How I Think About Alcohol on the Water

It was a Fourth of July weekend on Biscayne Bay. I was running my center console back from Elliott Key when I heard the distress call on Channel 16. A 24-foot bowrider had struck a channel marker at speed, just south of the Featherbed Bank. The operator had been drinking since noon. It was nearly seven in the evening. By the time FWC and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived, two passengers were in the water -- one unconscious, held afloat only because a nearby boater had jumped in to grab her. The operator had a broken jaw and couldn't explain what happened. His blood alcohol came back at 0.14%, nearly twice the legal limit.

Both passengers survived. But I watched the Coast Guard helicopter lift that unconscious woman off the rescue boat, and I have never forgotten the sound her family made on the dock when they saw her being carried away on a stretcher.

That was seven years ago. Since then, I've seen the aftermath of alcohol-related boating accidents from the Keys to the Panhandle. I've watched FWC officers pull bodies from the water on holiday weekends. I've read the incident reports, sat through the court proceedings, talked to the families. And I can tell you without reservation: Boating Under the Influence is the single most preventable cause of death on Florida waters.

This is not a neutral article. I'm going to tell you exactly what the law says, exactly what the penalties are, and exactly why the marine environment turns a couple of beers into a death sentence. If you operate a boat in Florida, you need to read every word.

02 /What Florida Law Actually Says: F.S. 327.35

Florida's BUI statute is F.S. 327.35, and it does not mince words.

Section 327.35(1) states:

Three things to notice. First, the 0.08% BAC threshold is identical to DUI on the road. The legislature made no distinction. Second, you can be convicted at any BAC if your "normal faculties are impaired" -- meaning an officer who observes you slurring, staggering, or operating erratically can arrest you at 0.05% or even lower. Third, this covers all vessels -- motorboats, sailboats, personal watercraft, even kayaks with trolling motors.

For operators under 21, Florida applies a zero-tolerance standard. F.S. 327.355 makes it illegal to operate with a BAC of 0.02% or higher -- essentially any measurable amount.

What Counts as "Operating" a Vessel

You don't have to be flying across the bay at 40 knots. Under Florida case law, "operating" means having actual physical control of the vessel. Sitting behind the helm with the keys in the ignition while tied to a dock? That qualifies. Idling through a no-wake zone? That qualifies. Anchored up in a sandbar with the engine running? A prosecutor can argue that qualifies too.

I've met boaters who thought they were being responsible by anchoring their boat and "sleeping it off." One of them woke up to an FWC officer tapping on the gunwale. The engine was running -- he'd left it on to power the stereo. He was charged under F.S. 327.35.

03 /Why One Drink on the Water Hits Like Three on Land

This is the part that most people refuse to believe until they experience it, and by then it's too late.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board have published extensive research on what they call the "marine environment multiplier." The boating environment subjects your body to a combination of stressors that dramatically amplify alcohol's effects on your central nervous system. Here is the science.

Sun Exposure and Dehydration

Florida sun is relentless. On a boat, there is rarely shade. Ultraviolet radiation increases your core body temperature, dilates blood vessels, and accelerates dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic -- it makes you urinate more, pulling water from your tissues. The combination means your blood alcohol concentration rises faster because there is less water in your body to dilute it. A beer consumed in your air-conditioned living room and the same beer consumed on an open deck in 92-degree heat at 2 p.m. in July are not the same beer. The one on the water will hit you measurably harder.

Engine Vibration and Noise (Boater's Hypnosis)

Hours of constant engine vibration cause a phenomenon the Coast Guard calls "boater's hypnosis" -- a fatigue-like state that dulls alertness and slows reaction time even in sober operators. The steady drone of an outboard, the thrumming of the hull through chop, the white noise of wind -- these create a cumulative neurological load. Add alcohol, and your brain is fighting impairment on two fronts simultaneously. Research from the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division shows that four hours of exposure to sun, wind, noise, and vibration produce fatigue equivalent to staying awake for 24 hours. Stack a 0.06% BAC on top of that, and you're operating with the cognitive capacity of someone well over the legal limit.

Wave Motion and Vestibular Disruption

Your inner ear governs balance. Constant wave motion -- even gentle swells -- disrupts the vestibular system and forces your brain to constantly recalibrate spatial orientation. Alcohol impairs this recalibration. The result: you lose the ability to distinguish between the horizon tilting and your own body tilting. I've seen sober boaters stumble on a rolling deck. An intoxicated boater who goes overboard in those conditions may not be able to determine which way is up. That is how people drown in four feet of water.

Glare and Visual Impairment

Sunlight reflecting off the water surface reduces contrast sensitivity and creates a blinding glare that makes it difficult to spot other vessels, swimmers, channel markers, and submerged objects. Alcohol further constricts your peripheral vision and slows pupil adjustment between bright and dark areas -- like looking from open water into a shaded mangrove channel. The combination creates dangerous blind spots at exactly the moments when you need maximum visual acuity.

The Cumulative Effect

None of these factors operates in isolation. They stack. A boater who has been on the water for five hours in the Florida sun, running a center console through moderate chop, with two beers in the last hour, is not merely "a little buzzed." That person is physiologically impaired to a degree that would shock them if they could objectively measure it. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has documented that the combined effect of these marine stressors can make impairment at 0.05% BAC equivalent to 0.10% BAC or higher on land.

This is why I tell every student in our boating safety course: the 0.08% legal limit is not a safe limit on the water. It is the line where you have already endangered everyone on your boat.

04 /BUI Penalties in Florida: The Exact Numbers

Florida does not treat BUI as a minor offense. The penalties under F.S. 327.35(2) escalate sharply with each conviction.

First Offense BUI

A first BUI is a first-degree misdemeanor:

• Fine: $500 to $1,000 ($1,000 to $2,000 if BAC is 0.15% or higher, or if a minor is aboard)
• Jail: Up to 6 months ($9 months if BAC is 0.15% or higher or minor aboard)
• Probation: Up to 1 year
• Community service: 50 hours mandatory
• Vessel impoundment: 10 days
• Mandatory substance abuse evaluation and completion of any recommended treatment
• BUI school: Mandatory completion of a DUI/BUI education program

That is not a slap on the wrist. Fifty hours of community service is more than six full workdays. A 10-day vessel impoundment means your boat sits in a marina at your expense -- storage fees typically run $50 to $150 per day. And the substance abuse evaluation is not optional; a judge cannot waive it.

Second Offense BUI

A second BUI is still a first-degree misdemeanor, but the penalties intensify:

• Fine: $1,000 to $2,000 ($2,000 to $4,000 with aggravating factors)
• Jail: Up to 9 months. If within 5 years of first conviction: mandatory minimum 10 days, with 48 hours consecutive
• Vessel impoundment: 30 days
• Mandatory ignition interlock device on motor vehicles (yes, your car -- more on this below)

The mandatory minimum jail time for a second offense within five years is the detail that catches people off guard. This is not "up to" jail time. This is a judge who has no discretion to let you walk. You are going to jail for at least 10 days.

Third Offense BUI

This is where it crosses into felony territory:

• Third offense within 10 years of second conviction: Third-degree felony
• Fine: $2,000 to $5,000
• Prison: Up to 5 years (mandatory minimum 30 days)
• Vessel impoundment: 90 days
• Third offense more than 10 years after second: First-degree misdemeanor with mandatory minimum 30 days jail, $2,000-$5,000 fine

A felony conviction in Florida means you lose your right to vote (until restored), your right to possess firearms, and your ability to pass a background check for most professional licenses. I've talked to a charter captain in the Keys who lost his USCG captain's license after a third BUI. His entire livelihood -- gone.

BUI with Serious Bodily Injury

Under F.S. 327.35(3)(c)(2), if your BUI causes serious bodily injury to another person, you face a third-degree felony:

• Prison: Up to 5 years
• Fine: Up to $5,000
• Restitution to victims for medical costs, lost wages, and damages

BUI Manslaughter

If someone dies because of your impaired operation, you face BUI Manslaughter under F.S. 327.35(3)(c)(3):

• Second-degree felony
• Prison: Up to 15 years
• Fine: Up to $10,000

And if you leave the scene of a BUI fatality, the charge elevates to a first-degree felony with up to 30 years in prison.

I want you to sit with that number. Thirty years. For something that started with "it's just a couple of beers on the boat."

05 /Implied Consent: You Already Agreed to the Test

Most boaters don't know about F.S. 327.352 until an FWC officer is asking them to blow into a breathalyzer. But Florida's implied consent law is unambiguous.

Section 327.352(1) states that any person who operates a vessel within this state is deemed to have given consent to submit to an approved chemical or physical test of their breath, blood, or urine to determine blood-alcohol or breath-alcohol level, if lawfully arrested for any offense allegedly committed while the person was operating a vessel while under the influence.

In plain English: by operating a boat in Florida, you have already consented to BAC testing. You agreed the moment you turned the key.

What Happens If You Refuse

Some people think refusing the test is a smart legal move. It is not.

Under F.S. 327.352(1)(d):

• First refusal: $500 civil penalty. Your refusal can and will be used as evidence against you at trial. The prosecution will stand in front of a jury and say, "The defendant refused testing because he knew the results would incriminate him."
• Second or subsequent refusal: Misdemeanor of the first degree -- meaning you face criminal charges just for refusing, on top of whatever BUI charge they're already pursuing.

And here's the part that truly surprises people: you can still be convicted of BUI without a BAC test. Officer testimony about your behavior, appearance, speech, boat operation, and field sobriety test performance is sufficient for conviction. The breathalyzer is just one piece of evidence. Refusing it doesn't make the case go away -- it often makes it worse.

06 /How FWC Enforcement Actually Works

I've ridden along with FWC officers on patrol (a benefit of being in the boating education business), and I can tell you that enforcement is far more aggressive than most recreational boaters realize.

BUI Checkpoints and Patrols

FWC runs BUI checkpoints at popular waterway chokepoints -- boat ramp exits, ICW intersections, inlet mouths, and approaches to popular sandbar destinations. During holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day), these operations are massive. They deploy patrol vessels, shore-based observation teams, and sometimes helicopter support.

A typical checkpoint works like this: FWC vessels position at a narrow channel point where boats must pass single-file. Officers conduct a standard safety equipment inspection -- checking for life jackets, fire extinguishers, registration, flares. While they're checking your gear, they're also observing you. Are your eyes bloodshot? Is your speech slurred? Do you smell like alcohol? Are your passengers holding open containers? Can you locate your safety equipment without fumbling?

If anything raises suspicion, the inspection transitions to a BUI investigation. You'll be asked to perform field sobriety tests, either on your vessel or on the patrol boat. And unlike on the road, FWC officers don't need probable cause to stop your boat. Under Florida law, they have the authority to stop and board any vessel for a safety inspection at any time. That safety inspection can legally become a BUI investigation the moment an officer observes signs of impairment.

When Enforcement Ramps Up

FWC publishes their enforcement statistics annually. The pattern is unmistakable:

• Memorial Day through Labor Day -- Peak enforcement period, with additional officers deployed statewide
• Holiday weekends -- FWC partners with the Coast Guard, local marine patrols, and county sheriff marine units for coordinated operations called Operation Dry Water, a national initiative targeting impaired boating
• Weekend afternoons -- The highest-risk period for BUI, as boaters who have been drinking since morning are heading back to the ramp
• Spring Break -- Enhanced patrols in areas popular with younger boaters, particularly in South Florida, Panama City Beach, and the Keys

During Operation Dry Water in 2024, FWC officers made hundreds of BUI arrests statewide in a single weekend. According to USCG statistics, alcohol is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents nationally, involved in roughly 19% of all boating fatalities. In Florida, the number is often higher because of year-round boating season and warm weather that encourages drinking.

The Myth That They Only Check at Night

I hear this constantly: "They don't run checkpoints during the day." Wrong. FWC runs daytime patrols seven days a week, year-round. In fact, daytime patrols are more productive for BUI enforcement because that's when most recreational boaters are on the water. The guy at the sandbar who has been pounding White Claws since 11 a.m. is not doing it at midnight. He's doing it at 2 p.m. in plain sight of every patrol boat on the Intracoastal.

I watched an FWC officer arrest a boater at Peanut Island on a random Tuesday afternoon in February. No holiday. No checkpoint. Just a routine patrol, a safety stop, and a guy who couldn't touch his nose with his finger. It happens every day.

07 /BUI and Your Driver's License: How They Interact

Here's a detail that blindsides people: a BUI conviction can affect your motor vehicle driving privileges.

Under Florida law, BUI and DUI are treated as prior offenses for each other when calculating enhanced penalties. That means:

• If you have a prior DUI conviction and you get a BUI, the BUI is treated as a second offense -- with the mandatory minimum jail time and enhanced fines that come with it
• If you have a prior BUI conviction and you later get a DUI, the DUI is treated as a second offense
• A BUI conviction goes on your criminal record and shows up on background checks
• Your auto insurance company will likely increase your rates or drop you, because they view any impairment conviction as evidence of risk behavior
• A second BUI within five years requires installation of an ignition interlock device on your car -- a breathalyzer wired into your vehicle that you must blow into before it will start

I've talked to a guy in Fort Lauderdale who got a BUI on his fishing boat and then couldn't figure out why his car insurance tripled at renewal. His agent explained that the underwriter classified the BUI as equivalent to a DUI for risk assessment purposes. He was paying an extra $2,400 per year for three years. The two beers on his boat cost him over $7,000 in insurance alone, not counting the $850 fine, $1,200 in attorney fees, the substance abuse evaluation, 50 hours of community service, and the 10-day impoundment that ran him another $1,100 in marina storage fees.

Total cost of that afternoon: north of $12,000. And he was a first-time offender with a 0.09% BAC -- barely over the limit.

08 /What Actually Happens After a BUI Arrest

Most people have no idea what the process looks like. Let me walk you through it, because it's worse than you think.

The Arrest and Booking

Once the officer determines probable cause, you are handcuffed and transported -- usually to the nearest shore-based facility. Your vessel is either turned over to a sober passenger (if one exists and is capable of operating it) or impounded. If impounded, a marine tow company hauls it, and you're responsible for those charges.

At the jail or booking facility, you are photographed, fingerprinted, and processed. Your personal belongings are inventoried and secured. You are placed in a holding cell. If you cannot post bond (typically $500 to $1,000 for a first offense), you remain in custody until your first court appearance, which could be the next day or, if arrested on a Friday night, Monday morning.

I spoke with a boater who was arrested at Doctors Pass in Naples on a Saturday evening. He spent Saturday night, all day Sunday, and Monday morning in the Collier County jail before his bond hearing. Forty hours in a cell because of three rum and Cokes on his pontoon boat.

Arraignment and Court Proceedings

Within 30 days, you are arraigned -- formally charged and asked to enter a plea. Most first-time offenders plead not guilty and hire an attorney. BUI defense attorneys in Florida typically charge $3,000 to $7,000 for a first offense, more if it goes to trial.

The court process can drag on for months. Multiple hearings. Motions. Continuances. During this time, you may be required to:

• Attend a substance abuse evaluation (at your expense, typically $150-$300)
• Begin a DUI/BUI education program (at your expense, typically $250-$500)
• Submit to random drug and alcohol testing if on pretrial release
• Avoid operating any vessel

The Conviction and Its Aftermath

If convicted -- and with a BAC over 0.08%, conviction rates are high -- you face the penalties outlined above. But the consequences extend far beyond the courtroom:

• Criminal record: A BUI conviction is a criminal offense that appears on background checks for employment, housing, and professional licensing. In Florida, you cannot expunge or seal a BUI conviction.
• Insurance: Both boat and auto insurance rates will increase dramatically. Some insurers will refuse to cover you entirely.
• Employment: Many employers run background checks. A misdemeanor conviction can disqualify you from positions in law enforcement, healthcare, education, finance, and government.
• Professional licenses: If you hold a USCG captain's license, a real estate license, a nursing license, or any other state-regulated professional credential, a BUI conviction triggers a mandatory review and potential suspension or revocation.
• Travel: Some countries (notably Canada) deny entry to individuals with impaired-operation convictions.

A fishing guide I know in Islamorada lost his captain's license for 12 months after a BUI. He had built a 15-year career running offshore charters. For an entire year, he couldn't work. He burned through his savings, nearly lost his house, and had to take a job at a hardware store to keep the lights on. All because he had four beers during an afternoon of bridge fishing and decided to run his skiff back to the marina.

09 /The Designated Operator: The Only Real Solution

We all know the designated driver concept. The designated operator is the boating equivalent, and it is the only strategy that reliably prevents BUI.

Before you leave the dock, one person commits to staying completely sober for the entire trip. Not "I'll only have one." Not "I'll stop drinking two hours before we head back." Completely sober. Zero alcohol. The entire time.

Here's why the half-measures don't work:

• "I'll only have one" -- On the water, with the marine environment multiplier, one drink impairs you more than you think. And "one" almost always becomes two.
• "I'll stop early" -- Alcohol metabolism is slow and unpredictable. Your body processes roughly one standard drink per hour, but that rate varies based on weight, hydration, food intake, and fatigue. If you had four beers between noon and 3 p.m. and "stopped early" to head back at 5 p.m., you could still be at 0.06-0.08% BAC -- and effectively much more impaired due to five hours of sun and engine exposure.
• "We'll switch operators" -- If your designated "sober" operator had even one beer three hours ago and has been baking in the sun, they may not be as sober as they think.

The rule is simple: one person stays at zero, period. Everyone else can enjoy themselves. The designated operator drinks water, stays alert, and gets everyone home alive. That's the deal.

In our Florida boating safety course, we dedicate specific instruction to this concept because it is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent a BUI arrest -- and prevent a tragedy.

10 /Myths That Get People Killed

I've heard every rationalization. Let me address the most dangerous ones directly.

"Beer is fine -- it's the hard stuff that gets you."

Alcohol is alcohol. A 12-ounce beer at 5% ABV, a 5-ounce glass of wine at 12% ABV, and a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor at 40% ABV all contain roughly the same amount of ethanol -- about 14 grams. Your liver does not care whether it arrived in a can of Bud Light or a glass of Maker's Mark. Three beers over two hours will put most people in the 0.05-0.08% range, and on the water, that's enough to kill.

"It's safer than drunk driving because there are no other cars."

This one makes me angry, because it's exactly backward. On a road, you have lane markings, guardrails, traffic lights, speed limits, sidewalks separating pedestrians, and a smooth, predictable surface. On the water, you have none of that. You have swimmers in the water with no protection. You have kayakers and paddleboarders with no running lights. You have submerged objects, shifting sandbars, unmarked shoals, and cross-traffic with no right-of-way signals. You have a vessel that doesn't have brakes and takes hundreds of feet to stop. And you have a 3-dimensional environment where a person who falls overboard can slip beneath the surface in seconds. Boating impaired is not safer than driving impaired. It is more dangerous in almost every measurable way.

"They don't really enforce it."

In fiscal year 2023-2024, FWC officers conducted thousands of vessel stops and made hundreds of BUI arrests statewide. FWC is one of the most active marine law enforcement agencies in the country. They have officers on the water every single day, in every region of Florida. They use spotters, helicopter surveillance, and inter-agency coordination. The enforcement is real, it is aggressive, and if you are impaired on the water, the odds of encountering an officer are far higher than you think -- especially on weekends, holidays, and near popular destinations.

"I'm a better boat driver after a couple drinks -- it relaxes me."

This is the most dangerous myth of all, because it feels true. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and reduces anxiety, which can make you feel more confident and relaxed. But the physiological reality is the opposite: your reaction time is slower, your peripheral vision is narrowed, your coordination is degraded, and your judgment about speed and distance is compromised. You feel like a better operator. You are a worse one. Every single study on this question reaches the same conclusion: there is no amount of alcohol that improves boating performance. None.

11 /Can Passengers Drink on a Boat in Florida?

Yes. Unlike motor vehicles, Florida does not have an open container law for vessels. Passengers on a boat may legally consume alcohol. This is one of the reasons boating and drinking feel so intertwined in Florida culture.

But there are important limits:

• The operator cannot be impaired. Period. Under F.S. 327.35, the operator must remain below 0.08% BAC and must not have impaired normal faculties.
• No one under 21 may consume alcohol on the vessel. This is true regardless of parental consent.
• Intoxicated passengers create operator liability. If a drunk passenger falls overboard and you, as operator, are unable to execute a rescue because you're also impaired, you face potential charges including negligent operation and, if the passenger drowns, manslaughter.

My advice: if your passengers are drinking, your responsibility as operator increases, not decreases. Intoxicated passengers are unpredictable. They stand up on moving boats. They lean over gunwales. They jump into the water without warning. Managing a boat full of drinking passengers while sober is already challenging. Doing it impaired is reckless.

12 /Prescription Drugs, Marijuana, and Other Substances

F.S. 327.35 is not limited to alcohol. The statute explicitly covers impairment by any chemical substance set forth in s. 877.111 and any substance controlled under chapter 893. This includes:

• Prescription medications: Opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium), muscle relaxants, sleep aids, and any prescription drug that carries a "do not operate heavy machinery" warning
• Over-the-counter medications: Dramamine, Benadryl, and other antihistamines that cause drowsiness
• Marijuana: Despite evolving state laws on personal use, operating a vessel while impaired by marijuana is illegal under F.S. 327.35. THC impairs reaction time, spatial awareness, and judgment -- all critical for safe boat operation
• Combination impairment: The most dangerous scenario is combining substances. One beer plus one Dramamine for seasickness can produce impairment equivalent to three or four drinks alone

If a medication label says "may cause drowsiness" or "do not operate heavy machinery," that applies to your boat. I've seen a BUI arrest in Destin where the operator was on a legitimate prescription for hydrocodone and had zero alcohol in his system. He was still charged and convicted because his normal faculties were impaired.

13 /What to Do Instead: Practical Steps for Safe Boating

I'm not here to tell you that nobody should ever have a beer at the sandbar. I'm here to tell you that somebody on that boat needs to stay stone sober, and that person needs to be the one driving.

Before You Leave the Dock

• Designate your operator. Name them. Make it explicit. This person does not drink. At all.
• Stock non-alcoholic alternatives. Water, sports drinks, sparkling water, non-alcoholic beer -- give your designated operator options that don't feel punishing.
• Eat before and during. Food slows alcohol absorption. Plan meals or substantial snacks for the trip.
• Check medications. If you're the operator, review every medication you've taken in the last 24 hours. When in doubt, don't operate.

On the Water

• Hydrate aggressively. For every alcoholic drink a passenger consumes, they should drink at least one full glass of water. This is Florida. Dehydration is the accelerant that makes everything worse.
• Set a cutoff time. Passengers should stop drinking at least one hour before the planned return. This gives some time for metabolism, though it's not a guarantee of sobriety.
• Life jackets on anyone who's been drinking. This is non-negotiable. An intoxicated person who falls overboard without a life jacket has a dramatically reduced chance of survival. Their swimming ability is impaired. Their cold shock response is amplified. The life jacket buys time for rescue.
• Never switch operators. If your designated operator has had even one drink, they are no longer your designated operator. Figure out an alternative -- anchor up and wait, call a friend with a boat, contact a marine tow service.

After the Trip

Save the celebration for the dock. Once the boat is secured, the engine is off, and everyone is on solid ground, crack open whatever you want. Cheers. You made it home safe. That's worth celebrating.

**Take the Florida boating safety course and learn more about responsible boat operation.**

14 /The Real Cost of BUI

Let me close with a story that I think about often.

A family from Orlando rented a pontoon boat at a marina near Homosassa for a Saturday outing on the Crystal River. The father -- mid-40s, experienced boater -- had "a few" drinks over the course of the afternoon. On the way back, he misjudged the channel and ran aground on an oyster bar at speed. The impact threw his 8-year-old son from the bow seating into the water. The boy hit the oyster bar.

He survived. But the lacerations were severe, the infection that followed was worse, and the family spent three weeks in a Gainesville hospital. The father was charged with BUI causing serious bodily injury -- a third-degree felony. He was convicted. He lost his job because of the felony record. The family's medical bills exceeded $180,000. Their boat insurance denied the claim because the operator was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

That man did not wake up that morning planning to hurt his son. He was a good father. A responsible person in every other area of his life. But he believed the myths: that beer doesn't count the same, that the water is more forgiving than the road, that he could handle it.

He couldn't. Nobody can. The water doesn't care how experienced you are or how many times you've done it before.

If you're going to operate a boat in Florida, get educated. Our FWC-approved boating safety course covers BUI laws, the marine environment's effect on impairment, designated operator strategies, and everything else you need to know to keep yourself and your passengers safe. The course is entirely online, you can take the exam as many times as you need, and you'll have your Boating Safety Education ID Card the moment you pass.

Don't become a statistic. Don't become a story I tell in an article like this one.

Disclosure: Boat Skill (boatskill.com) is an FWC-approved provider of Florida boating safety education. This article is written for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. If you are facing BUI charges, consult a qualified Florida criminal defense attorney. Statistics cited are from the [U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics](https://uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_statistics.php) and the [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission](https://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/). Florida statutes referenced can be viewed at [leg.state.fl.us](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/).

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