Mandatory Boater Education course for the State of Texas
NOTE: Children under 13 are specifically prohibited from operating a PWC unless accompanied on board by a person at least 18 years of age.
All operational rules for regular motorboats also apply to PWC. In addition to those requirements, it is unlawful for any person to:
- operate PWC at night (sunset until sunrise);
- operate PWC within 50 feet of another PWC, motorboat, vessel, platform, person, object, or shore except at headway speed without creating a swell or wake (Headway speed = Slow, idle speed, or speed only fast enough to maintain steerage); and
- operate a PWC and jump the wake of another vessel recklessly or unnecessarily close.
It is unlawful for any person to:
- Operate at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and prudent or greater than will permit him to bring such boat to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead.
- Operate so as to cause a hazardous wake or wash.
- Operate in a circular course around fishermen or swimmers.
- Moor or attach to any buoy, beacon, light marker, stake, flag or other aid to safe operation, or to move, remove, displace, tamper with, damage or destroy the same.
- Anchor in the traveled portion of any river or channel so as to prevent, impede, or interfere with safe passage of any other boat through the same area.
- Operate within an area designated as bathing, fishing, swimming, or otherwise restricted.
- Operate within designated “no wake” area except at headway speed without creating a swell or wake.
- Engage in water skiing, surfboarding or other similar activity between the hours of ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise; provided that this shall not apply to vessels used in recognized water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials, provided that the water area is adequately lighted.
- Operate while intoxicated (loss of mental or physical faculties, or blood alcohol content of .08 or higher). First conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000, confinement in jail not to exceed 180 days or both; second conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000, confinement not to exceed one year or both; third conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000, imprisonment for not more than 10 years or less than 2 years. **Failure to submit a specimen to determine blood alcohol content may result in suspension of your driver’s license.
- Operate any vessel or manipulate any water skis, aquaplane or similar device, in a willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property. (Violation of this provision shall be punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $2,000 or by confinement in jail not to exceed 180 days or both.)
- Swim or dive within two hundred yards of any sight-seeing or excursion boat except for maintenance purposes or unless within an enclosed area.
- Operate within 50 feet of a “Diver Down Flag” or operate a boat within 150 feet of a “Diver Down Flag” except at Headway/Steerage Speed.
- Fail to comply with the U.S. Coast Guard Inland Rules of the Road.
To learn these “rules of the road”, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department strongly recommends participation in a Boater Education course. Excellent courses are available from many sources to help hone your boating skills, including online courses, Coast Guard Auxiliary courses, Power Squadron courses, and others.
