Although underage drinking charges are common and relatively minor offenses, leaving these charges on your criminal record could be detrimental to your future, especially when applying for scholarships, colleges, jobs, etc. The only way to prevent an underage drinking charge from haunting you (or your child’s) future, is to destroy all records of the offense. Many parents and young adults believe that a dismissed or withdrawn charge will no longer appear on a background check. They are mistaken. The only way to properly clear an underage drinking record is to go through the expungement process.

            Laws regarding expungements vary by state, but underage drinking charges are typically easy to expunge as long as the offender hasn’t been charged with any new offenses within a certain amount of time. Those who have been convicted of underage drinking are eligible to seek expungement once he/she has turned 21 years of age, and after he/she has completed the sentence, which can include up to 6 months of alcohol awareness programs. Once the offender meets these requirements, he/she should complete the following 5 steps to have their record expunged:

1. Review your state’s laws regarding record expungements.
2. Obtain a copy of the police report and a record of the case outcome from the criminal division of your local department of court records.
3. Draft a motion for the court to expunge your records. Note that this includes a proposed expungement order, a cover letter enclosing the motion, and all court records.
4. File the motion with the clerk’s office of the court that handled the case and pay any necessary filing fees.
5. Attend a hearing and (if necessary) present your formal expungement request to the judge. If the judge agrees, he/she will sign an order of expungement and all records of the underage drinking offense will be destroyed.

Don’t let the mistakes you made as a minor impact your future. Underage drinking is an illegal action that comes with consequences, but once you’ve completed your sentence, there is no need to be hindered by the charge. The legal system understands that people often learn from their mistakes, especially ones that do not cause harm or pose a major threat to society. Underage drinking charges are relatively easy to expunge, so do yourself a favor and protect yourself from background checks that could potentially limit future opportunities. Check to see if you’re eligible for expungement at EasyExpunctions.com.