Is there an age limit for being charged with a DWI?

In Washington, the legal drinking age is 21 years old. This means that any person under the age of 21 years old could not be legally charged with a Driving Under the Influence (DWI) charge. In Washington this is known as Minor in Possession (MIP). Washington state does, however, have DUI laws in place for anyone who operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, regardless of age. The legal limit for driving under the influence in Washington is a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. If it is found that a driver has a BAC that is over the legal limit, they can be charged with a DUI regardless of age. Washington has an “implied consent” law, which means that if a person is arrested or stopped on suspicion of DUI and they refuse to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test, they could face an automatic suspension of their driver’s license. In addition, they could still face criminal charges. In summary, while people younger than 21 years old cannot be legally charged with a DWI in the state of Washington, anyone who is suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can still be subject to criminal charges regardless of age.

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Is there an age limit for being charged with a DWI?

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