Heavy Costs of a Teen DUI

 Posted on September 25, 2013 in DUI

The percentage of American teenagers, who admit to driving under the influence of alcohol, has dropped by more than 50% since 1991. However, every year, thousands of California teenagers are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in long-term financial as well as other consequences.

Your underage child can be arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, even if he has a blood-alcohol concentration level of just .01%. That is because California’s zero tolerance laws allow persons to be arrested for driving impaired even if they have had just a few alcohol beverages, that measure at a .01% BAC.

If you are below the age of 21, you're not allowed to possess alcohol, or have a container of alcohol that is unsealed or opened in your car. If you are found with alcohol in your car, you can be sentenced to fines of up to $1,000, and could lose your license for up to one year. Your vehicle can also be impounded for a period of 30 days.

If your child has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, then he could lose his license for approximately one year, and have to pay out hundreds of dollars in fees. Those hundreds of dollars include DUI attorneys fees, and thousands of dollars in fines and penalties for his first DUI arrest. He will also have to pay towing and storage fees which should work out to a few hundred dollars, and also have to pay for DUI classes. When his license is reinstated, he will also be responsible for paying the DMV reinstatement fee.

Those are just the short-term costs. Over the long-term, your child will find that the DUI arrest also affects his ability to get into the college of his choice.