As parents of Lawrenceville area teens know, their children do not always make the best decisions. In fact, it may seem like their kids are constantly testing their patience and getting themselves into questionable situations. Luckily most of the time the mistakes teens make are not life-altering. But an underage drunk driving conviction can be very serious.
In Georgia, a person who is over 21 can be charged with a DUI if their BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is .08 or above. For those under the age of 21, the threshold is much lower. Because those who are under the age of 21 are not legally allowed to drink, their BAC level is dropped to 0.02. If does not matter if the driver is impaired, having a BAC over 0.02 is illegal.
consequences for underage DUI in Georgia
The consequences for an underage DUI in Georgia are serious.
- First offense: fines of up to $1,000, up to 12 months in jail and a minimum of 20 hours of community service.
- Second offense: fines of up to $1,000, up to 12 months in jail and at least 30 days of community service.
- Third offense: fines of up to $5,000, up to 12 months in jail, and at least 30 days of community service.
- Fourth offense: generally, a felony and includes fines of up to $5,000, up to 5 years in jail and at least 60 days of community service.
Underage drivers can also lose their driver’s license for a minimum of 6 months and subsequent DUIs can include a license suspension of 5 years.
The consequences of an underage DUI conviction in Georgia can be life-altering. Besides the criminal consequences, a young person may also face a harder time getting into college, graduate school, renting an apartment, etc. If a young person is facing a DUI, they may want to speak with a legal professional who is skilled in criminal defense. An attorney can investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest and aggressively defend their client’s freedom and future.