A lot of young people want part-time jobs. Youths can do a lot of different jobs in the hospitality industry. Many have alcohol in them. How old do you have to be to let people drink? To watch over the bar? To sell booze to drink away from the venue?
In this way, West Virginia’s alcohol rules are easy to understand. Any adult over the age of 21 can serve booze. To work as bartenders. And to sell drink that can be drunk away from the business. That is, anyone over the age of 18 can work there. A minor (16 or 17 years old) can also work in approved places. But they can’t sell or serve alcohol or beer that won’t get you drunk. That’s what people call “near beer.”
A person who has a permit to sell alcohol is called a dealer. People with licenses can’t let anyone younger than 21 into a registered business. But people younger than 18 can be in a licensed place if one of three things is true. One is when they work there. The second time is when you’re with your mom. That third time is when you buy something that isn’t drink.
Anyone younger than 21 can drink alcohol. But blood cousins or married relatives must give it. Be there when they drink it. Getting drunk with a fake ID is against the law. But adults between the ages of 18 and 21 can buy alcohol to help the cops catch clerks.
West Virginia Alcohol Laws
Selling Alcohol Laws
It is against the law to sell booze to people younger than 21. People who break the law can get a fine of up to $5,000 or go to jail for 30 days to a year. Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., private clubs can serve alcohol. On Sunday at 1 p.m., sales may start up again.
Drinks can be bought in taverns from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday. They can sell on Sunday from noon to two in the morning. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight, liquor shops (use off-site) can sell. On Sunday, they might not sell, though.
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Buying Alcohol Laws
It is against the law for anyone younger than 21 to buy or try to buy alcohol. You could get a $500 fine or spend up to 72 hours in jail. Instead of jail time for a first crime, the court can give up to a year of probation. The punishment for having alcohol without a permit is the same.
If you use fake ID, you could get a $100 fine or go to jail for up to three days. For a first crime, the court may give up to a year of probation instead of jail time. Giving booze to someone younger than 21 is a very serious crime. You could go to jail for 30 days to six months or pay a $500 fine. The punishment is less for giving that person beer that doesn’t make them drunk. You could get a $100 fine or 10 days in jail.
Driving
It is against the law in West Virginia to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or more. It’s 0.02% for people under 21. The goal is for people younger than 21 to not have any alcohol in their systems. That being said, the maximum is 0.02% for a number of reasons.
One is that breathalyzers are not very accurate. Some people also say that their bodies make booze all the time. A third reason is that alcohol is found in many medicines, foods, and drinks.
Penalties
If you are caught driving while impaired (DUI) for the first time, you will lose your license for six months. For a second or third crime, you will be banned for a year. It is a felony to get a fourth offense.
If someone is found guilty of DUI, the judge can order that an ignition interlock system be put on their car. If there is blood in the driver’s breath, this gadget stops the engine from starting. Installation costs are paid for by the criminal. A judge can also order an alcohol education training, an evaluation, or treatment.