Zero tolerance & minors' non-driving alcohol offenses
A 3-minute lesson from the Texas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, a minor is anyone under 21. Texas's zero tolerance laws punish minors for alcohol offenses even when they aren't driving, and suspend their licenses for them.
A minor may not:
Purchase or attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage
Falsely state they are 21 or older, or show a document saying so, to anyone selling or serving alcohol
A minor with any detectable amount of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle in a public place, or a watercraft, commits Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by a Minor, even if not intoxicated under the DWI law.
A license is suspended for these offenses even if unlicensed: the privilege is denied instead. A minor convicted of driving while suspended for one of these offenses faces Driving While License Invalid (DWLI) penalties.
A 19-year-old is caught with a beer at a park for the third time. Because they're 17 or older, it's a Class B misdemeanor: $250 to $2,000, 40 to 60 hours of community service, possible jail up to 180 days, and a 180-day license suspension, with no deferred disposition.
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.
How much detectable alcohol is legally allowed for a driver under 21 in Texas?
None; any detectable amount is illegal
Up to 0.02 BAC
Up to 0.05 BAC
Up to 0.08, like adults
Answer: None; any detectable amount is illegal
Zero tolerance means any detectable amount of alcohol while driving under 21 is a violation.