Just an FYI.

Got a call last week and the game warden gave a pontoon boat driver a ticket for $300 for not having his drivers license with him on the boat. He was 150 yards from his home just idling headed home with the dogs and his wife. If you are on Lake Dunlap, you better be legal including having you kill switch on your wrist or life jacket. The game warden must have been having a bad day because he even mentioned that he could write him up because the numbers on his boat were not easily visible (black letters on gray boat).

The game warden had quite the attitude through the stop.

On one hand, I can get that the wardens are seeing a lot of boat traffic considering Lake Dunlap is the only lake with water in South Central Texas but this warden seems a little over the top. I have always been legal but I never knew you had to have a drivers license on your boat. That one was news to me.

What law says you have a to have a driver's license while on a boat?

Quick search and this is all I can find:
if you were born on or after September 1, 1993, and are at least 13 years old, you must carry a Texas Boater Education Card (commonly referred to as a boating license) to legally operate a vessel powered by a motor of more than 15 horsepower, a windblown vessel over 14 feet in length, or a personal watercraft (PWC). Along with the Boater Education Card, you must carry a valid photo ID, which can be a driver's license, state ID, or another form of identification, to verify your identity.

I have no idea. Ask the warden who gave the $300 ticket. That was new to me.

The warden mentioned not having his kill switch on his wrist and the color of his TX numbers also. I think the whole thing was BS if you ask me. Could have been handled with a warning. I can understand if the guy was flying down the lake doing some crazy stuff but this guy was idling home with his wife and dogs. Nothing but an evening boat ride.

Criminals will be criminals

If you dont break the law it’s amazing how much better your life will be. Ignorance of the law is not a strategy.

I rarely keep my wallet on the boat with me. I do have a picture on my phone with it.

Correction: AI says you don't need a license with you in TX. He must have gotten the ticket for no Kill switch.

My mistake folks. I was told it was his license but it has to be the kill switch.

Jeez, aren't we going a little overboard here? "Breaking the law? Ignorance of the law?"

Let he who hasn't gone flying around a lake without the kill switch attached to you, throw the first stone.

I agree and didn't think it was worth answering. I can only assume Champion knows every law about every thing and is perfect. I'll bet he is a hoot at parties.

So then tell me, is a driver's license required when on a boat?
Seems you should know this.

He got a ticket because he was either too lazy or too stupid when he saw Warden approaching him that he couldn't reach down and clip it on his belt.

From what I read and not from what "I should know".

The kill switch law was enacted in 2019, (kali's law), I believe. When I looked I saw nothing on the TP&W web site stating a TDL was needed, thus the correction. FYI, the throw cushion requirement was no longer there either. I believe at this time, you need a kill switch and be wearing it on any boat under 24' and that is what he got the ticket for.

The purpose of this post was to let anyone that is on Dunlap to be wary and that they should expect to get checked.

If anyone has any questions on what is legal or not, call TP&W or go the the web site because I am no lawyer. For everyone else, do as you choose.