Alcohol and drugs
You are taking a jet ski out on a lake. What does California law say about drinking alcohol while you operate it?
- It is illegal, as it is for a boat or water skis. Correct answer
- It is legal, because DUI laws cover only vehicles on public roads.
- It is legal as long as your BAC stays under 0.08%.
Why
Right below its BAC table, the handbook adds that drinking alcohol or taking drugs while operating a boat, a jet ski, water skis, an aquaplane or a similar vessel is illegal. The handbook points to the California Harbors and Navigation Code for the details, and the ban is just as real on the water as drunk driving is on land, so the roads-only answer is wrong. The 0.08% answer borrows the limit for adult drivers on the road and attaches it to a rule that the handbook writes as a ban on drinking while operating, not as a BAC threshold.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is It is illegal, as it is for a boat or water skis.
The rule behind this one
California alcohol and drug rules for drivers goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on alcohol and drugs
- You are 19 and an officer has you take a preliminary alcohol screening (PAS). It shows a BAC of 0.05%. What may the officer do next?
- You are 19 years old. At what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) does it become illegal for you to drive in California?
- You are carrying a bottle of wine that has already been opened. Where may it legally ride in your car?
- A law enforcement officer suspects you of driving under the influence and asks you to take a breath, blood, or urine test. What happens if you refuse?