Alcohol and young drivers — North Carolina Permit Test

The legal age to purchase alcohol in North Carolina is 21, and a person under 21 who purchases or attempts to purchase alcohol faces a one-year license revocation on conviction.

The penalty reaches the license even when no car was involved. Buying beer underage costs a year of driving.

The law requires a one-year driver license revocation upon conviction for: • Any underage person who attempts to purchase or purchases an alcoholic beverage;

A person who lets an underage person use their driver license or ID to buy alcohol, or who gives alcohol to an underage person, also faces a one-year license revocation.

The adult who hands over the ID or the drink is treated like the drinker. Their license goes for the same year.

Any person who permits their driver license or any other ID to be used by an underage person to purchase or attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage.

A driver under 21 convicted of driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs in their body loses their license for one year.

Under 21 there is no legal limit to stay under. Any amount at all is a conviction and a year without a license.

If a driver who is less than 21 years old is convicted for an offense of driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs in their body, their license will be revoked for one year.

A 19-year-old is convicted of trying to buy beer. What happens to their driver license?

It is revoked for one year. The penalty reaches the license even when no car was involved. Buying beer underage costs a year of driving. North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.33: “The law requires a one-year driver license revocation upon conviction for: • Any underage person who attempts to purchase or purchases an alcoholic beverage;”