Penalties for Underage DUI in Michigan

• That state of Michigan has strict laws for underage drinking and driving.michigan map image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) are serious offenses. The state of Michigan has very strict, clear laws about the definition of legal intoxication, and the penalties for multiple offenses. DUI/OWI is taken even more seriously if the driver is under the legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol, which is 21.
  
  

Legal Age

• The legal age to purchase and consume alcohol in the state of Michigan is 21 years old. This means that it is illegal for persons under that age to drink any amount of alcohol. If you are under 21 and attempt to operate a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol, you are already breaking two laws. Persons under 21 caught with alcohol in their car can be charged with a misdemeanor regardless of whether they are driving at the time or parked. That charge can result in a license suspension. The only time a person under 21 may transport alcoholic beverages in a vehicle is if a person over the age of 21 is present.
  
  

Legal Limit

• For people of the legal drinking age, the blood alcohol concentration level considered above the limit is anything .08 or higher. For persons under 21, that limit is .02. Michigan has a zero tolerance policy for those under the age of 21 who have been caught driving while intoxicated as person aged 16 to 20 are the least experienced behind the wheel. Statistics show that that inexperience combined with alcohol makes males 16 to 20 years old 18 times more likely to be killed in a car accident than a sober driver of the same age, and females 16 to 20 years old 54 times more likely to be killed.
  
  

Zero Tolerance

• For persons under the age of 21 caught purchasing, consuming or possessing alcohol, the first offense is a $100 fine, second offense is $200 fine and 30-day license suspension, third is $500 fine, 60-day license suspension, and 305-day restricted license.
  
  For persons under the age of 21 caught driving while intoxicated, the first offense is up to $250 fine, the possibility of up to 350 hours community service, 30-day license suspension, four points off of driving record and $500 driver responsibility fee for two years. If a person is caught in a second underage DUI within seven years, the fines double, and that person could face up to 93 days in jail.