Roadwise States North Carolina Driving lessons DWI penalties & underage drinking North Carolina driving lesson · Alcohol and the Law
DWI penalties & underage drinking A 3-minute lesson from the North Carolina course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Alcohol and the Law
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 18 DWI penalties rise sharply with each conviction, and restored drivers carry strict alcohol limits afterward. Drivers under 21 face one-year revocations for alcohol offenses that adults wouldn't lose a license over.
DWI laws also aim to help offenders: Repeat offenders or those with high BACs are checked for an alcohol problem Drivers with lower BACs must attend alcohol safety schools Anyone convicted must get a substance abuse assessment before reinstatement Handbook p. 18 ↗ Know the rule
A DWI conviction with a BAC of 0.15 or more, or with another conviction within the past seven years, requires an ignition interlock device on the vehicle.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ Know the rule
If you're convicted of DWI while revoked for an earlier DWI, the court may order your vehicle seized and sold.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ 21 Legal age to purchase any alcoholic beverage in North Carolina
Handbook p. 18 ↗ One-year license revocation upon conviction for: An underage person buying or trying to buy alcohol An underage person helping another buy or try to buy alcohol An underage person using a fake ID or someone else's ID to get alcohol Anyone letting an underage person use their license or ID to buy alcohol Anyone giving an alcoholic beverage to an underage person Handbook p. 18 ↗ Know the rule
A driver under 21 convicted of driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs in their body loses their license for one year.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ Put it into practice
A 25-year-old lends his license to his 19-year-old cousin, who uses it to buy beer. Both face a one-year revocation: the cousin for buying underage, and the owner for letting his ID be used.
A useful reminder Second DWI: four years if the prior was within three years. Third: permanent if one prior was within five years.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the mandatory license revocation period for a first DWI conviction? Six months Two years One year 90 days Answer: One year
A first DWI conviction brings a mandatory one-year revocation.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ What is the mandatory revocation for a second DWI conviction if the prior offense occurred within three years? One year Two years Permanent Four years Answer: Four years
A second DWI within three years of a prior offense brings a mandatory four-year revocation.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ When does a third DWI conviction result in mandatory permanent revocation? A prior conviction within five years A prior conviction within seven years A prior conviction within three years Only if a crash occurred Answer: A prior conviction within five years
A third DWI conviction results in permanent revocation if at least one prior conviction occurred within the past five years.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ What BAC restriction applies the first time a license is restored after a DWI suspension? 0.00% 0.04% 0.08% 0.02% Answer: 0.04%
On the first restoration after a DWI suspension, the BAC restriction is 0.04%.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ A DWI conviction with a BAC of 0.15% or higher requires what to be installed on the vehicle? A breathalyzer app on the driver's phone An ignition interlock device No special device is required A vehicle speed limiter Answer: An ignition interlock device
A conviction with a BAC of 0.15% or more, or another conviction within seven years, requires an ignition interlock device.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ Which of these is grounds for a mandatory one-year license revocation for an underage person? Riding as a passenger in a vehicle where alcohol is present Being present at a location where alcohol is served Attempting to purchase alcohol using a fraudulent ID Being stopped at a DWI checkpoint Answer: Attempting to purchase alcohol using a fraudulent ID
The law requires a one-year revocation for an underage person who obtains or attempts to obtain alcohol using a fraudulent ID.
Handbook p. 18 ↗ Previous lesson DWI laws, BAC limits & chemical tests Next lesson How alcohol and medication affect your driving More in Alcohol and the Law About the source Roadwise’s North Carolina course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 18. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check North Carolina’s DMV. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.