PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Operating a boat in a careless way or getting in the way of its safe operation so that people or property are put at risk can bring fines and criminal charges. You can be fined up to $5,000 for a recreational boat or up to $25,000 for any other boat. Grossly negligent operation that endangers people is a class A misdemeanor (a less serious criminal charge). If that gross negligence causes serious bodily injury, it is a class E felony (a more serious federal crime) and you can also face a civil fine up to $35,000. Operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or a dangerous drug can bring a fine up to $5,000 or a class A misdemeanor. The boat itself can be held responsible and seized unless it is owned, clearly marked, and mainly used by a State government. A boat that has been detained as substandard under an international safety rule, and whose detention was posted online with the owner’s name, may not carry Government-impelled cargo. The same ban applies if the operator has had more than one such detention posted. The ban ends one year after the online notice or sooner if the owner or operator wins an appeal. "Government-impelled cargo" means goods the federal government directly hires to ship or helps pay for shipping.

Title 46, §2302

Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A person operating a vessel in a negligent manner or interfering with the safe operation of a vessel, so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of a person is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 in the case of a recreational vessel, or $25,000 in the case of any other vessel.

(b)Grossly Negligent Operation.—

(1)Misdemeanor.— (2) Felony.—

A person operating a vessel in a grossly negligent manner that endangers the life, limb, or property of a person commits a class A misdemeanor.

(c)An individual who is under the influence of alcohol, or a dangerous drug in violation of a law of the United States when operating a vessel, as determined under standards prescribed by the Secretary by regulation—

(1)is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000; or

(2)commits a class A misdemeanor.

(d)For a penalty imposed under this section, the vessel also is liable in rem unless the vessel is—

(1)owned by a State or a political subdivision of a State;

(2)operated principally for governmental purposes; and

(3)identified clearly as a vessel of that State or subdivision.

(e)(1)A vessel may not transport Government-impelled cargoes if—

(A)the vessel has been detained and determined to be substandard by the Secretary for violation of an international safety convention to which the United States is a party, and the Secretary has published notice of that detention and determination in an electronic form, including the name of the owner of the vessel; or

(B)the operator of the vessel has on more than one occasion had a vessel detained and determined to be substandard by the Secretary for violation of an international safety convention to which the United States is a party, and the Secretary has published notice of that detention and determination in an electronic form, including the name of the owner of the vessel.

(2)The prohibition in paragraph (1) expires for a vessel on the earlier of—

(A)1 year after the date of the publication in electronic form on which the prohibition is based; or

(B)any date on which the owner or operator of the vessel prevails in an appeal of the violation of the relevant international convention on which the detention is based.

(3)As used in this subsection, the term “Government-impelled cargo” means cargo for which a Federal agency contracts directly for shipping by water or for which (or the freight of which) a Federal agency provides financing, including financing by grant, loan, or loan guarantee, resulting in shipment of the cargo by water.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 2302(a)46:1461(d)46:1484(b) 2302(b)46:1461(d)46:1483 2302(c)46:1484(b) section 2302 states that the negligent operation of a vessel is prohibited. These acts are subject to civil and criminal penalties and the involved vessel is subject to an in rem action. The negligent operation provisions have their genesis in the Act of April 25, 1940, 54 Stat. 167, when Congress prescribed that no person shall operate any motorboat or any vessel in a reckless or negligent manner. This provision was directed at all vessels and not those solely engaged in recreational boating. When the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971, P.L. 92–75, 85 Stat. 217 (46 U.S.C. 1461) was enacted it adopted the reckless or negligent operation provisions of the 1940 Act. It adopted for the first time a provision for assessing civil penalties in addition to criminal penalties. It dropped the word “reckless” because of redundancy. It also combined the two classes of vessels; “any motorboat or any vessel” into one class by using the word “vessel” and defined vessel as including every description of watercraft.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 119–60 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “A person operating a vessel in a grossly negligent manner that endangers the life, limb, or property of a person commits a class A misdemeanor.” 2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–295 substituted “$5,000 in the case of a recreational vessel, or $25,000 in the case of any other vessel” for “$1,000” 1998—Pub. L. 105–383, § 302(a)(1), substituted “Penalties for negligent operations and interfering with safe operation” for “Penalties for negligent operations” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–383, § 302(a)(2), substituted “or interfering with the safe operation of a vessel, so as to endanger” for “that endangers”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 105–383, § 304(c), substituted “$5,000; or” for “$1,000 for a first violation and not more than $5,000 for a subsequent violation; or”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–383, § 408(a), added subsec. (e). 1992—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 102–587 substituted “$1,000 for a first violation and not more than $5,000 for a subsequent violation” for “$1,000”. 1990—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–380, § 4302(a)(1), substituted “commits a class A misdemeanor” for “shall be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–380, §§ 4105(b)(2), 4302(a)(2)(A), substituted “under the influence of alcohol, or a dangerous drug in violation of a law of the United States” for “intoxicated” and struck out “, shall be” after “by the Secretary by regulation”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 101–380, § 4302(a)(2)(B), substituted “is liable” for “liable”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 101–380, § 4302(a)(2)(C), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.” 1984—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 98–557 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–383, title IV, § 408(b), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3431, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] takes effect January 1, 1999.”

Effective Date

of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–380 applicable to incidents occurring after Aug. 18, 1990, see section 1020 of Pub. L. 101–380, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 2701 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters.

§2302 Penalties for Negligent Operations and Interfering with Safe Operation

Summary

Title 46, §2302

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata