Underage drinking and driving laws, such as Illinois’ Zero Tolerance law, apply to anyone under the age of 21 caught driving under the influence of alcohol. According to the Zero Tolerance Law, someone can be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and face severe penalties, even if that person is not above the legal limit of .08 percent BAC.
An Aurora, IL DUI defense attorney will explain the charge against you and help you build a defense to fight it. The court is sometimes lenient on first-time offenders, but having legal representation ensures you understand your rights and make smart decisions about your defense.
What Is Illinois’s Zero Tolerance for Drinking and Driving Underage?
The Zero Tolerance Law allows the court to charge someone under the age of 21 with a DUI for having even a trace of alcohol in their system. For a standard DUI charge applied to drivers 21 and older, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level has to be 0.08 percent or higher to be considered legally impaired. Under Zero Tolerance, the BAC level is 0.00 percent, and the investigating officers have the discretion, based on testing or refusal to test, whether to charge you with a Zero Tolerance violation.