You may have heard the State of Georgia’s cry, You Drink, You Drive, You Lose and this especially true if you’re under the legal drinking age of 21. And Georgia is not alone – all states in recent years have passed laws to target and punish those charged with underage drinking and driving. While a state may not have the label Zero Tolerance, they will have some penalties in place to punish anyone caught using drugs or alcohol under 21 and operating a motor vehicle.

Explaining Zero Tolerance

For adults (those 21 and over), the blood alcohol limit is .08%. But for those under 21, that number jumps all the way down to just .02%! With such a small blood alcohol concentration, a person would barely have to drink any alcohol at all and could be arrested for drinking and driving. The point of Zero Tolerance is not to arrest you if you are drunk, but to arrest anyone underage who has any amount of alcohol in their system.

Penalties for violating Zero Tolerance

In an effort to keep anyone from underage drinking and driving, the State of Georgia has put some very strict penalties into place. However, there are not only criminal penalties a person can face – there is a civil penalty with an administrative license suspension. Criminally, a person can face jail time, community service, probation, expensive fees, ignition interlock, vehicle confiscation, restricted travel and more.

In addition, there are other consequences from underage drinking and driving. From insurance coverage complications to problems obtaining employment, a DUI conviction can have far-reaching consequences.

Hire an experienced DUI defense attorney

If you live in Georgia and have been charged with DUI and violated the Zero Tolerance Law, you must contact a lawyer immediately. There are many ways your attorney can defend you. For example, with such a small amount of alcohol in your system, your breath test could have picked up alcohol from a mint or cough syrup.

If this is your first DUI and first run-in with the law, your attorney can state that you are a responsible citizen. Contact an attorney today.

Georgia DUI – 10 Day Rule

You should know that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (commonly referred to as “DUI”) is a very serious matter in Georgia. A conviction in Georgia on a DUI charge can result in a jail sentence, a fine of up to $1,000 (for a first or second offense) or up to $5,000.00 (for a third offense), a suspension of your Georgia driver’s license, 40 hours of community service (for a first offense), and 30 days of community service (for a second or third offense), and alcohol/drug evaluation or treatment.

In addition, a Georgia DUI conviction can result in higher automobile insurance premiums and difficulty conducting everyday transactions that require presentment of your driver’s license (such as identification requests, cashing checks and renting a car). Also, a Georgia DUI conviction can drastically impact your present job or future job opportunities.