Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code
Sec. § 106.041
Driving or Operating Watercraft Under the Influence of Alcohol by Minor

(a)

A minor commits an offense if the minor operates a motor vehicle in a public place, or a watercraft, while having any detectable amount of alcohol in the minor’s system.

(b)

Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

(c)

If it is shown at the trial of the defendant that the defendant is a minor who is not a child and who has been previously convicted at least twice of an offense under this section, the offense is punishable by:

(1)

a fine of not less than $500 or more than $2,000;

(2)

confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days; or

(3)

both the fine and confinement.

(d)

In addition to any fine and any order issued under Section 106.115 (Attendance at Alcohol Awareness Course; License Suspension), the court shall order a minor convicted of an offense under this section to perform community service for:

(1)

not less than 20 or more than 40 hours, if the minor has not been previously convicted of an offense under this section; or

(2)

not less than 40 or more than 60 hours, if the minor has been previously convicted of an offense under this section.

(e)

Community service ordered under this section must be related to education about or prevention of misuse of alcohol.

(f)

A minor who commits an offense under this section and who has been previously convicted twice or more of offenses under this section is not eligible for deferred disposition or deferred adjudication.

(g)

An offense under this section is not a lesser included offense under Section 49.04 (Driving While Intoxicated), 49.045 (Driving While Intoxicated With Child Passenger), or 49.06 (Boating While Intoxicated), Penal Code.

(h)

For the purpose of determining whether a minor has been previously convicted of an offense under this section:

(1)

an adjudication under Title 3, Family Code, that the minor engaged in conduct described by this section is considered a conviction under this section; and

(2)

an order of deferred disposition for an offense alleged under this section is considered a conviction of an offense under this section.

(i)

A peace officer who is charging a minor with committing an offense under this section is not required to take the minor into custody but may issue a citation to the minor that contains written notice of the time and place the minor must appear before a magistrate, the name and address of the minor charged, and the offense charged.

(j)

In this section:

(1)

“Child” has the meaning assigned by Section 51.02 (Definitions), Family Code.

(2)

“Motor vehicle” has the meaning assigned by Section 32.34 (Fraudulent Transfer of a Motor Vehicle)(a), Penal Code.

(3)

“Public place” has the meaning assigned by Section 1.07 (Definitions), Penal Code.

(4)

“Watercraft” has the meaning assigned by Section 49.01 (Definitions), Penal Code.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1013, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1207, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 949 (H.B. 1575), Sec. 29, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1348 (S.B. 328), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1348 (S.B. 328), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1348 (S.B. 328), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2009.
Source
Tex. Legislature
Last accessed
Jun. 7, 2021
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