Laws Regarding Alcohol Access
According to Business and Professions Code section 25658:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold, furnished, or given away, any alcoholic beverage to any person under the age of 21 years is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Any person under the age of 21 years who purchases any alcoholic beverage, or any person under the age of 21 years who consumes any alcoholic beverage in any on-sale premises, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) Any person who violates subdivision (a) by purchasing any alcoholic beverage for, or furnishing, giving, or giving away any alcoholic beverage to, a person under the age of 21 years, and the person under the age of 21 years thereafter consumes the alcohol and thereby proximately causes great bodily injury or death to himself, herself, or any other person, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
In addition:
- Your teen must be 21 before he or she can buy or drink alcoholic beverages.
- Any person who furnishes a false identification to your teen will be committing a crime. No one is allowed to lend, borrow, or alter a driver�s license or other identification in any way.
- It is against the law for your teen to possess alcohol on any street, highway, or public place, carry alcohol in a car, or be a passenger in car carrying alcohol unless accompanied by you, the parent or legal guardian, even if the container is sealed.
For further details of the laws regarding offenses involving alcohol or drugs, please see www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd11c12a2.htm.
