HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will increase enforcement efforts against impaired boating during the Independence Day weekend as officials seek to reduce alcohol-related accidents and deaths on the state’s waterways.
Waterways Conservation Officers will participate in Operation Dry Water from July 3-5, joining law enforcement agencies nationwide in a campaign that includes heightened Boating Under the Influence enforcement and recreational boating checkpoints.
The annual initiative, conducted in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, is intended to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired boating and encourage safer practices during one of the busiest periods of the boating season.
“The waters of the Commonwealth are shared by all of us, and they should be a safe place to enjoy,” said Col. Jeffrey Sabo, director of the PFBC Bureau of Law Enforcement. “A boat operator’s judgment and reaction time are affected by alcohol and drugs the same way as when you’re driving a car on the road.”
Pennsylvania law prohibits operating any watercraft, whether powered or unpowered, while impaired. The legal blood alcohol limit for boat operators is 0.08%, and officers are trained to recognize signs of impairment and conduct sobriety tests on the water. Penalties can include fines, loss of boating privileges, and imprisonment.
The commission arrested 27 people for Boating Under the Influence in 2025, including nine during last year’s Operation Dry Water campaign. One operator arrested during the initiative registered a blood alcohol content of 0.198%, roughly two-and-a-half times the legal limit.
The PFBC recommends that boaters avoid alcohol while on the water or designate an operator who will not consume alcohol during the trip.
Officials also reminded boaters of several safety requirements ahead of the holiday weekend. State law requires a U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person aboard a vessel, and children age 12 and younger must wear life jackets while underway in boats 20 feet or less in length and in all canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.
Pennsylvania also requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, to possess a Boating Safety Education Certificate to operate a boat powered by a motor greater than 25 horsepower. All personal watercraft operators, regardless of age, must also hold the certification.
Current boating regulations and the Pennsylvania Boating Handbook are available at Fishandboat.com.
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