Alcohol and drugs
At a DMV hearing, a 19-year-old is found to have driven with a BAC of .03 percent. It is a first Zero Tolerance violation. What happens to the license?
- It is suspended for six months. Correct answer
- It is suspended for 90 days.
- It is revoked for at least one year.
Why
New York's Zero Tolerance law covers drivers under 21, who cannot legally buy alcohol in the state. For them any measurable BAC, which the manual describes as .02 to .07, is a violation. It is decided at a DMV hearing, and a first finding brings a six-month suspension. The 90-day suspension is the adult penalty for a first DWAI conviction. The revocation of at least one year, or until age 21 if that is longer, is what a second Zero Tolerance violation brings. Getting the license back after the first one also costs money: a $100 suspension termination fee and a $125 civil penalty. Under 21, a reading the test can measure at all is enough to take the license away for six months.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is It is suspended for six months.
More on alcohol and drugs
- A driver under 21 has served a first Zero Tolerance suspension. What must the driver pay to be licensed again?
- An adult driver is convicted for the first time of driving while ability impaired by alcohol (DWAI). What license action does the penalty table list?
- Not counting surcharges and fees, what fine range does the penalty table give for a first DWI conviction?
- What minimum license action does the penalty table list for a first conviction of aggravated driving while intoxicated (Agg-DWI)?