Boat Accident Reporting Requirements

A boat operator who has been involved in a boating accident is required to:

• Stop their boat at the scene.
• Provide assistance to any person who has been injured, or who is in danger, so long as they can do so without risking their safety or that of their passengers.
• Provide their name, address and boat information in writing to any person who was injured and to the owner of any property that was damaged as a result of the accident.

Reporting Boat Accidents

A written accident report must be submitted to the Alabama Marine Police Division if any of the following occur as a result of the incident:

• A person is killed or disappears from the boat.
• A person is injured and is incapacitated for more than 72 hours.
• Damage to the boat(s) or property totals more than $2,000.

The accident report form must be submitted to the Marine Police Division within 10 days of the incident, on the appropriate form provided by Marine Police Officers, the county Sheriffs Office or the Marine Police Division.

Other Boat Accident Laws

A uniformed police officer, state trooper, state law enforcement officer, state marine police officer, county sheriff, deputy or member of a municipal police force has the authority to arrest any individual at the scene of the accident, if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person contributed to the accident. They may arrest the person without warrant, even if the enforcement authority did not personally see the violation.

Homicide by Vehicle or Vessel

Any person who unlawfully and unintentionally causes the death of another person while violating any law or regulation applying to the use of a vehicle or boat, will be guilty of homicide.