Florida Drunk Driving Law: Zero Tolerance for Young Drunk Drivers

Florida drunk driving law has a zero tolerance policy in effect for underage drunk drivers. The legal limit for adult drivers is .08, for those who are under 21 years of age, the limit is .02. For many people, this small blood alcohol concentration can come from something as small as a few sips of beer at a party, meaning that you cannot drink any amount and legally drive in Florida. The whole point of the strictness of this section of Florida drunk driving law is to keep underage drivers from drinking at all, let alone drinking and driving. But hey, it happens, so make sure that you call your parents, apologize and then work toward making it right.

If you are arrested and convicted under Florida drunk driving law and you are under the age of 21, you may have your driver’s license suspended for six months automatically in addition to the fines and other punishments that you can incur. Other charges may be filed in your case, in addition to drunk driving and under-age consumption, which may lead to the arrest of others who may be involved at the time or before the fact. If you are underage and violate Florida drunk driving law, you do not just put yourself at risk, you are endangering others as well both while you are driving and afterward. And just think what your mother is going to say about this little adventure! While she will probably have plenty to say, she will also be glad that you are okay and will want to help you as much as possible.

It is possible that your conviction on this charge could run close to $10,000, depending on the additional charges that are added and other factors that must be considered. As a person who is under age, it is important to be honest and open with your parents because not only will they be helping you to pay your fines and other fees, they can be instrumental in helping get you back on track. In addition, the attorney will want your parents to be on board so that the court will know if it is facing the first of many arrests because of a previously undiagnosed mental health issue or if this is just a case of poor judgment on the part of an otherwise pretty good kid.