What are some basic differences between the laws that apply to those who operate a boat while intoxicated, and the OVI laws that apply to those who operate other vehicles while intoxicated?
Because of safety issues that are unique to operating a boat, federal (e.g., Coast Guard) and state watercraft officers may randomly stop your boat without a warrant and perform a safety inspection, even without any suspicion that you’ve violated any law. During the safety inspection, officers may expand the inspection to include a sobriety check, if they have a reasonable suspicion that the vessel operator is intoxicated. However, this authority only extends to Coast Guard and state watercraft officers, and not to county or city marine patrol officers. Also, there is no automatic license suspension component in the laws that cover boating while intoxicated (BWI). This means that, even if you are found guilty of BWI, you cannot lose a boating license, since none is required for non-commercial uses in Ohio waters. Further, you also will not automatically lose your automobile driving privileges. However, if you refuse to submit to a chemical test to determine if you’re intoxicated, the O
