DUI for Under Age 21 Penalties in California
- Individuals under the age of 21 who are charged with a DUI in California face serious penalties.martini and keys image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
According to the California Vehicle Code, anyone under the age of 21 who has a blood alcohol content of more than 0.05 percent will be charged with driving under the influence (DUI). The individual charged with DUI will have to make an appearance in court, and if the person is found guilty he faces the following penalties. - In California, anyone under the age of 21 who is found guilty of DUI will automatically have his driver's license suspended for one year. An additional year of suspension will be added for every DUI received by anyone currently under suspension for DUI. For those who have a critical need to drive, special exceptions can be made to the suspension, including allowances to drive to and from work.
- California Vehicle Code states that a first DUI conviction for anyone under the age of 21 should include penalties of at least 96 hours of imprisonment, at least 48 hours of which need to be continuous. The court may determine that if 48 hours of continuous imprisonment would interfere with a person's work schedule, he may be able to serve his imprisonment around work. A fine of at least $390 but no more than $1,000 will also be imposed.
- The court will mandate that anyone under the age of 21 who is convicted of DUI must attend a Driving Under the Influence program that is approved and regulated by the court. The court will extend suspension of a person's license if the program has not been completed within the original one year suspension.
