So in New Jersey we have a zero tolerance law. This involves people who consume alcohol when they are under 21. There’s a couple of implications.

If you’re under 21 and are caught buying or consuming alcohol in a place with a liquor license you can be fined $500 and have your license suspended for 6 months, which would start once you are eligible to get a license.

The other big implication is underage dui or sometimes called “baby dui”. This is where someone is under 21 with any amount of detectable alcohol .01 or more in violation of New Jersey’s zero tolerance law. The penalty is 30-90 day suspension 15-30 days community service idrc referral which is an assessment and class. The benefit to this is that an underage DWI will not count as a DWI to enhance a future potential DWI conviction so it won’t be a first offense for enhancement purposes. It should be noted that an underage person can still get a regular adult DWI if they have a reading of .08 or more for example. If you or someone you love is in trouble for underage drinking feel free to give us a call to see if we can help. 973-854-0098.