What to Do If You Get Caught Drinking Underage in Utah

The law in Utah specifies that a person under the age of 21 may not have a measurable amount of alcohol in their body. If that is the case, they can be charged with the crime of “minor in possession.” This is especially troubling because the punishment isn’t even the lowest level of misdemeanor (class C).

Since the drinking age is 21, but you are considered an adult for most things in the eyes of the law at age 18, there are a lot of legal issues you may find yourself dealing with if you choose to drink in high school or college.

The crime of minor in possession is a class B misdemeanor, meaning if you are caught and charged, you could face a maximum penalty of up to 6 months in jail and/or be fined up to $1,000. Not to mention your driver’s license could be suspended. This is why it’s crucial to find an experienced lawyer to defend you if you are charged with underage drinking.

Experience You Can Trust Defending Your Underage Drinking Charges

The laws in Utah don’t only apply to having a measurable amount of alcohol in your body. You could also be charged with a class B misdemeanor if you are caught purchasing alcohol, attempting to purchase alcohol, soliciting another person to purchase alcohol, possessing alcohol, and the list goes on.

To protect your future, it’s important that you have an experienced lawyer who knows the most effective defense strategies to fight back against underage drinking charges. The legal team at Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat is prepared to handle any and every kind of case involving underage drinking laws in Utah. Our expert team has experience protecting people against the following crimes (and more):

  • Misuse of alcohol by a minor
  • Minor in possession of alcohol
  • Minor purchasing or attempting to purchase alcohol
  • Minor misrepresenting their age to obtain alcohol
  • Minor in possession of alcohol in a limousine or chartered bus
  • Unlawful admit/attempt to gain admit by minor in a bar
  • Unlawful use of proof of age (ID)

Preparing For Your Case

With nearly two decades of experience defending underage clients against all kinds of alcohol charges, you can be sure we will look into every detail of your case and prepare a solid defense. If you want to do some of your own research on Utah’s underage drinking laws and penalties, you can visit our minor in possession of alcohol page to find more information.

Finding A Defense Lawyer for Your Underage Drinking Charges In Utah

Whether you need help with a class B misdemeanor from an alcohol possession or consumption charge or for more severe felony charges—including drinking and driving—the lawyers at Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat will work hard to defend your rights and help you navigate the criminal justice system and get you back on track for a successful future.

Give us a call at (801) 532-5297 so we can start working on your case today.

More Articles

Can You Get a DUI Expunged In Utah?
The most recent data from the Utah Department of Public Safety shows that about 30 people are arrested for DUI every day. If you have ever been in trouble with the law for driving under the influence in Utah, you may consider getting your DUI expunged from your records. When a record is expunged, it becomes sealed. No one can unseal the record without a court order. This means you can tell a prospective employer or landlord that the crime never took place. However, because the Beehive State takes DUIs seriously, it’s one of the harder crimes to get expunged from your record.
Read More →
13 Ways the 2022 Legislative Session Changed Criminal Law in Utah
The Utah Legislature meets for 45 calendar days (starting in January and ending in March) each year for the legislative session. Hundreds of bills* are proposed to change Utah’s laws. While many of the bills proposed and laws passed don’t deal with criminal matters, we keep an eye on the ones that do and how they might affect the rights of Utahns who are charged with crimes.
Read More →
law office in Utah
Do These 5 Things If You Are Arrested in Utah
No one wants to get arrested, and many people think they won’t ever get arrested. However, it’s impossible to predict if you will get arrested, even if you are innocent. Sometimes people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, there were over 75,000 adult arrests and 8,000 juvenile arrests in Utah during 2020. You can think of that as more than 80,000 reasons to know what to do in case you get arrested. So here are five things you should do if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of getting arrested in Utah.
Read More →

Defend your case with the best criminal defense attorneys in Utah

Get a confidential case evaluation

Our office will contact you as soon as possible to arrange for you to discuss the facts of your case with an experienced criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake City, Utah.​ The use of this form for communication with our personnel does not establish an attorney-client relationship.