UNDERAGE DRINKING

We solve all Driver’s License Problems.
Former Prosecutor with over 30 years in the local courts.
DUI, Traffic Violations and License Suspension experts.

WHY CHOOSE US?

We are familiar with the local courts systems and we work extremely well with the local prosecutors. Your child’s driving privileges are on the line!

Any conviction could lead to probation, steep fines or even Jail Time.

Let’s Work Together

Over 25 years working with the Montgomery County court system.

Let’s Work Together

What Other Lawyers are Saying

Ed Guyer is one of the finest criminal trial attorneys in Pennsylvania. In addition, Ed is considered the #1 DUI Practitioner because of his legal expertise, courtroom victories and close client contact. Attorney Guyer is just the lawyer you want on your side.
Jon Fox, DUI / DWI Attorney in Jenkintown, PA

 

Let’s Work Together
Policeman handcuffing teenager
underage drinking and driving,
a woman driving in the night city
Young man holding beer bottle

We don’t believe that a mistake made in one’s youth should haunt them for years into their future.

Under Pennsylvania law, in 2018, underage drinking or possession of alcohol resulted in a driver’s license suspension, commencing on the date a teen applies for a driver’s license, typically at age sixteen. However, the laws have changed and we stay on top of these repeals made by the Governor. Convictions of those sentences will still carry the standard penalties associated with any conviction, including a criminal record, a sentence of probation, in-home detention, or jail time, and payment of fines and costs. However, those offenses will no longer carry license suspensions that prevent a person from working, attending school, or supporting a family.  

If you, or a son or daughter, have an underage drinking charge on their record, and are now twenty-one years old, we can help clear their record. Contact the Law Offices of Edwin L. Guyer to schedule an opportunity to meet with us today.

What Makes Underage DUI Different

In Pennsylvania, drivers under 21 face very different DUI laws than drivers who are 21+. A 21+ driver has a certain amount of leeway in driving with alcohol in their system—as long as their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is less than .08%, and they aren’t showing signs of impairment, they usually cannot be convicted of DUI. But Pennsylvania has adopted a “Zero Tolerance” rule for drivers who are under 21 years of age. These younger drivers face much higher standards than adults do.

The main areas that are different for underage drivers are:

  • The rules for breath tests
  • The “legal limit” for having alcohol in their system
  • The penalties they face

We’ll cover each of these areas in detail below.

How are DUI breath test rules different for drivers under 21?

The first step of most DUI investigations is to ask the driver to take a breath test. Officers can do this during a traffic stop with a portable device.

What is the legal limit for drivers under 21?

For adults, the “legal limit” is .08% BAC. The legal limit for drivers under 21 is .02%. Because of the state’s Zero Tolerance law, it is illegal for you to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in your system. If you take the breath test and blow even a .01%—the smallest amount of alcohol it can record—you are in violation of the law. Just because there is alcohol in your system doesn’t mean you’ll be convicted of a full DUI.