Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog

Knoxville DUI lawyers are dedicated to fighting DUI cases. Our East Tennessee DUI attorneys are trained and educated in the different aspects of DUI defense. Our office maintains high standards of continuing education to bring our clients up-to-date scientific knowledge and legal skill to defend DUI cases all across East Tennessee. The preservation of your license and freedom is vital.

Underage Driving While Impaired is an offense in Tennessee that closely resembles DUI. Under Tennessee law, a person age sixteen or over but under age twenty-one may not drive or be in physical control of an automobile or other motor driven vehicle while:

• The alcohol concentration in the person's blood is more than two hundredths of one percent;
• Under the influence of alcohol;
• Under the influence of any intoxicant, marijuana, narcotic drug, or drug producing stimulating effects on the central nervous system; or
• Under the combined influence of alcohol and any other drug to a degree which makes the person's driving ability impaired. Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-415 (2007).

It is usually not a defense to Underage Driving While Impaired that the individual under the influence of narcotic drugs or barbital drugs is or has been entitled to use such drugs under the laws of this state.

It is important to realize that the penalties for Underage Driving While Impaired and DUI are different. The offense of underage driving while impaired for a person age eighteen or over but under age twenty-one is a Class A misdemeanor punishable only by a driver license suspension of one year and by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars. As additional punishment, the court may impose public service work.

Underage Driving While Impaired for a person age sixteen or over but under the age of eighteen is considered to be a delinquent act. This is punishable only by a driver license suspension of one year and by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars. As additional punishment, the court may impose public service work.

If you or a loved one has been charged with Underage Driving While Impaired or DUI in the East Tennessee area, contact a Knoxville DUI lawyer. A Knoxville DUI attorney will discuss the legal aspects applicable in your case.