21-112A. OPERATING AIRCRAFT WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR ANY OTHER INTOXICATING SUBSTANCES. (1) It is unlawful for any person to pilot or be in actual physical control of an aircraft within this state, whether upon an airport or body of water, or in the airspace over this state:

(a) Within eight (8) hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage;

(b) While under the influence of alcohol;

(c) While using any drug that affects the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety; or

(d) While having an alcohol concentration of 0.04 as defined in subsection (5) of this section, or more, as shown by analysis of his blood, urine, or breath.

(2) Any person having an alcohol concentration of less than 0.04 as defined in subsection (5) of this section, as shown by analysis of his blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance, by a test requested by an authorized law enforcement officer shall not be prosecuted for operating an aircraft while under the influence of alcohol, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section. Any person who does not take a test to determine alcohol concentration or whose test result is determined by the court to be unreliable or inadmissible against him, may be prosecuted for piloting or being in actual physical control of an aircraft while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other intoxicating substances, on other competent evidence.

(3) If the results of the test requested by an authorized law enforcement officer show a person’s alcohol concentration of less than 0.04, as defined in subsection (5) of this section, such fact may be considered with other competent evidence of drug use other than alcohol in determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant.

(4) Persons authorized to withdraw blood for the purposes of determining content of alcohol or other intoxicating substances are those persons authorized in section 18-8003, Idaho Code.

(5) For purposes of this chapter, an evidentiary test for alcohol concentration is a determination of the percent by weight of alcohol in blood and shall be based upon a formula of grams of alcohol per one hundred (100) cubic centimeters of blood, per two hundred ten (210) liters of breath or sixty-seven (67) milliliters of urine. Analysis of blood, urine or breath for the purpose of determining the blood alcohol concentration shall be performed by a laboratory operated by the Idaho state police or by a laboratory approved by the Idaho state police under the provisions of approval and certification standards to be set by that department, or by any other method approved by the Idaho state police. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule of court, the results of any test for alcohol concentration and records relating to calibration, approval, certification or quality control performed by a laboratory operated or approved by the Idaho state police or by any other method approved by the Idaho state police shall be admissible in any proceeding in this state without the necessity of producing a witness to establish the reliability of the testing procedure for examination.

(6) It is unlawful for any person who is an habitual user of, or under the influence of any narcotic drug, or who is under the influence of any other drug or any combination of alcohol and any drug to a degree which renders him incapable of safely piloting an aircraft, to pilot or be in actual physical control of an aircraft on an airport, body of water, or in the airspace above the state of Idaho. The fact that any person charged with a violation of the provisions of this subsection is or has been entitled to use such drug under the laws of this state shall not constitute a defense against any charge of a violation of the provision of this subsection.

(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any evidence of conviction under this section shall be admissible in any civil action for damages resulting from the occurrence. A conviction for the purposes of this section means that the person has pled guilty or has been found guilty, not withstanding the form of the judgment or withheld judgment.

History:

[21-112A, added 1989, ch. 229, sec. 2, p. 545; am. 2000, ch. 469, sec. 55, p. 1507.]