Alcohol laws for drivers under 21

Key points

1. At 18, 19 or 20, a conviction for buying, trying to buy or having alcohol costs your driving privilege for 1 year.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “If you are 18, 19 or 20 years old and are convicted of purchasing, attempting to purchase, or possessing any alcoholic beverage, you will lose your privilege to drive for one year.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

2. A second such conviction costs your license for 2 years, whether or not you were driving.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “If it happens a second time you will lose your license for two years. The law applies to any alcohol-related conviction, whether or not you were driving or even in a vehicle.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

3. At 13 to 17, possessing, drinking or selling alcohol or drugs suspends driving for 1 year or until 17, whichever is longer.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “If you are between the ages of 13 and 17 and are found to have possessed, consumed or sold either alcohol or drugs, your driving privilege will be suspended for one year or until age 17, whichever is longer.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

4. A second juvenile conviction means 2 years or until 18, whichever is longer.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “If you have a second conviction, the suspension is for two years or until age 18, whichever is longer.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

5. A driver at least 16 but under 21 with a BAC of 0.02 percent, or under the influence, is convicted of underage driving while impaired.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “A person who is at least 16, but is not yet 21 years old, and who is found: (1) driving with a BAC of .02 percent; (2) under the influence of alcohol; or (3) under the influence of any other intoxicant, will be convicted of underage driving while impaired.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

6. Underage driving while impaired means losing your license for 1 year and a $250 fine.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “Penalties for this conviction are: losing your license for one year, a fine of $250 and sometimes, includes public service work.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

7. Young drivers have a much greater crash risk than older drivers at BAC levels between 0.01 and 0.08 percent.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “The young driver’s chance of a crash is much greater with BAC between .01-.08 percent than older drivers.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

8. It takes about 3 hours to cancel the intoxicating effects of 3 drinks.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “It takes about one hour to cancel the effects of one drink. It takes about three hours to cancel the intoxicating effects of three drinks.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

9. The first thing alcohol affects is judgment.

   Source: Handbook p. 83

   “The first thing affected after drinking alcohol is a person’s judgment.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

10. If you plan a night out, decide before you start drinking that you will not drive.

    Source: Handbook p. 83

    “If you are planning a night on the town, decide before you start drinking that you are not going to drive.”
    Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 83

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Tennessee practice test

1. 1. Under Tennessee's under-21 impaired driving rule, what BAC figure can trigger a conviction for a driver at least 16 but not yet 21?

   1. 0.08 percent
   2. 0.10 percent
   3. 0.02 percent
   4. 0.00 percent only
   Show answer

   0.02 percent. The manual states that a person at least 16 but not yet 21 can be convicted of underage driving while impaired when found driving with a BAC of .02 percent. That is a separate youth standard, so substituting the adult .08 threshold understates the risk for this age group. A requirement of exactly zero is also not the wording used in the rule. For a teen driver, even a small measured amount can matter. The practical cue is to avoid driving after any alcohol use rather than trying to calculate a safe margin.

2. 2. What license consequence does the Tennessee manual list for an under-21 impaired driving conviction?

   1. Losing the license for one month
   2. Losing the license for one year
   3. Receiving only a written warning
   4. Receiving a permanent lifetime revocation
   Show answer

   Losing the license for one year. For the under-21 impaired driving conviction described in the manual, the listed license consequence is loss of the license for one year. The same passage also names a $250 fine and sometimes public service work. A one-month suspension is too short, while a warning does not reflect the stated penalty. The manual does not describe this provision as an automatic lifetime revocation. Remember the one-year period together with the lower .02 BAC trigger, since the combination distinguishes this youth offense from the ordinary adult threshold.

3. 3. A 19-year-old in Tennessee is convicted of trying to buy beer. What happens to the driving privilege?

   1. It is lost for one year
   2. Nothing, because the person was not driving
   3. It is lost for 30 days
   4. It is lost until age 21
   Show answer

   It is lost for one year. Drivers 18, 19 or 20 convicted of purchasing, attempting to purchase, or possessing alcohol lose the privilege to drive for one year, and a second time brings two years. The law applies to any alcohol-related conviction whether or not the person was driving or even in a vehicle. Thirty days is too short, and the loss is not tied to turning 21.

Source: the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Section B-7: Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.