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Underage Drinking

Use/Lose: Driving Privileges

Laws addressing suspension or revocation of driving privileges as a penalty for underage purchase, possession, or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

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Variables: Underage Drinking: Use/Lose: Driving Privileges

  1. Type of Violation Leading to License Suspension or Revocation

    • APIS codes three types of violation for which a young person's license may be suspended or revoked (see Definitions):
    • Purchase of Alcohol
    • Possession of Alcohol
    • Consumption of Alcohol
      • Checkmarks are shown in the Purchase and Possession columns if the relevant State provisions include actual or attempted purchase and possession.
      • Note: Separate APIS policy topics provide details of States' provisions pertaining to Underage Purchase, Possession, and Consumption of alcohol.
  2. Upper Age Limit
    • The age below which the license suspension/revocation sanction applies.
  3. Authority to Impose License Sanction
    • This column indicates whether the State's authority to impose driver's license sanctions for underage alcohol violations is mandatory or discretionary.
  4. Length of Suspension/Revocation in Days
    • The column displays the minimum and maximum number of days of suspension or revocation specified in statutes or regulations. If the penalty is discretionary and a minimum term is not specified, then "0" days has been entered in the "Minimum" column to indicate that the court has the discretion not to impose any period of suspension or revocation. Some States make the penalty discretionary but specify a period of time for the suspension or revocation should the court exercise this discretion. In these cases, the minimum and maximum period is included in these columns. When the statute or regulation specifies "months," APIS uses a 30-day conversion to determine number of days per month. The abbreviation "n/s" indicates that the minimum or maximum figure for a mandatory sanction is not specified in the relevant statute or regulation.