DWI defendants of all ages face harsh penalties and consequences that affect their lives presently as well as into the future. Teens, young adults, and their parents, must familiarize themselves with the range of penalties that exists for Texas drivers between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one. It is also crucial that young drivers and their parents understand the possible long-term consequences that DWI charges could have for their children and their family.

Young drivers and their parents must understand that both civil and criminal penalties can follow a DWI or a DWIA by a Minor conviction. If a driver is under seventeen years of age, they are not allowed to have any detectable alcohol in their body while they are driving. This is why Texas is said to have a “Zero Tolerance” policy for drinking and driving by minors. When a driver under the age of seventeen is found to have a detectable amount of alcohol in their body, they will likely be charged with the offense of DUIA by a minor, as it is commonly called. It is a Class C misdemeanor, and a first offense is punishable by any or all of the following: a fine of up to five hundred dollars, license suspension for sixty to one hundred and eighty days, community service, and attendance at an alcohol awareness course. As with adult DWI cases, the penalties for DUIA by a Minor increase for subsequent offenses.

Drivers between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one can be charged with DWI by a Minor, a Class B misdemeanor. These charges are punishable by up to a year of license suspension, a fine of up to two thousand dollars, and anywhere between three days and one hundred and eighty days in jail. Repeat offenders are penalized even more seriously, with a second offense increasing to a Class A misdemeanor with up to four thousand dollars in fines, one month to one year in jail, and up to eighteen months of license suspension. Things get even more severe if there’s a third offense. For a third-time offender, the offense is charged as a third-degree felony, along with a fine of up to ten thousand dollars, two years of license suspension, and between two and ten years of jail time.

Those penalties are harsh and are intended to deter would-be drunk drivers. Young drivers may be aware of those penalties, but they may not know the full extent of how a DUIA by a Minor or DWI by a Minor could affect their lives. Teens and young adults are at a time in their lives when they are working towards the things they envision for their future. A conviction for a DUIA by a Minor or DWI by a Minor can make achieving many of those dreams more difficult by limiting access to some programs and some sources of funding that young people rely on to help them get where they want to go.

A Texas DWI Defense Attorney can help you understand your rights and your options if you or your child have been charged with DUIA by a Minor or DWI by a Minor. Call Attorney Alex Tyra today, at (903) 753-7499, or fill out a contact form on our website.