Selling Alcohol to Minors

The sale of alcohol to minors may seem rather harmless when compared to crimes like assault or DWI, but the penalties for selling alcohol to minor in Texas are very serious. The sale of alcohol to a minor in Texas is classified as a Class A Misdemeanor and carries up to a year in jail and/or up to a $4,000 fine. By comparison, your average DWI charge in Texas is considered a Class B misdemeanor, which is a less serious criminal charge. As you can see, the State of Texas takes selling or furnishing alcohol to minors very seriously.

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 106.03. SALE TO MINORS.

(a) A person commits an offense if with criminal negligence he sells an alcoholic beverage to a minor.

(b) A person who sells a minor an alcoholic beverage does not commit an offense if the minor falsely represents himself to be 21 years old or older by displaying an apparently valid Texas driver’s license or an identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, containing a physical description consistent with his appearance for the purpose of inducing the person to sell him an alcoholic beverage.

(c) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

(d) Subsection (b) does not apply to a person who accesses electronically readable information under Section 109.61 that identifies a driver’s license or identification certificate as invalid.

Sale of Alcohol to Minor Defense Lawyer in Austin,Texas

If you have been charged with the sale of alcohol to a minor in Austin or Travis County, Texas and are confused or unsure how to proceed, please call Austin Defense Attorney Kevin Bennett at (512) 476-4626. You may also contact us through email.