Underage drinking charges can be very serious and damaging to your personal and professional life. I have over 15 years experience in handling underage drinking cases and have seen the impact they can have on a young person’s future.
Minnesota Underage Drinking and DWI Laws
Underage drinking charges can be especially harsh in Minnesota where cities are passing new underage drinking laws.
As a State, Minnesota is a “zero tolerance” state – meaning even trace amounts of alcohol can result in penalties. These penalties increase if the person was operating a motor vehicle at the time of arrest.
Prosecutors can charge a person with just trace amounts of alcohol in their system. This also means that the punishments increase depending on the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the underage person. In addition to the usual DWI laws, extra penalties apply to minors who drive under the influence of alcohol. These laws include Vanessa’s Law as well as the Not A Drop law.
Vanessa’s Law
Vanessa’s law applies to minors under the age of 18 who are accused of drinking and driving. Vanessa’s law includes a variety of penalties, such as:
- Teenagers driving without a license who receive traffic violations or alcohol related violations may not receive their learner’s permit or license until the age of 18.
- This includes violations such as open bottle, underage drinking, implied consent, DWI
- Additional penalties may also apply
- Minnesota residents under the age of 18 who receive a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol / drugs violation (controlled substance violation) cannot regain their licenses until the age of 18.
- At this time the person must:
- Complete the classroom portion of a driver education course;
- Fulfill reinstatement requirements, often including $680 in fees;
- Obtain and hold a permit for three months;
- Pass the driver’s license knowledge test.
- At this time the person must:
Not A Drop Law
Minnesota’s Not A Drop Law applies to persons over age 18 but under the age of 21. This law promotes zero tolerance and comes with additional consequences – much like Vanessa’s law. Penalties of this law include:
- The revocation of your driver’s license for 30 days or more;
- Limited or temporary license;
- And additional charges from the prosecutor.