State Law In

California

  • What does state law say?

    A parent or legal guardian who knowingly permits his or her child, or a person in the company of the child, or both, who are under the age of 18 years, to consume an alcoholic beverage or use a controlled substance at the home of the parent or legal guardian is guilty of misdemeanor if all of the following occur: 1) As the result of the consumption of an alcoholic beverage or use of a controlled substance at the home of the parent or legal guardian, the child or other underage person has a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent or greater, as measured by a chemical test, or is under the influence of a controlled substance, 2) The parent knowingly permits that child or other underage person, after leaving the parent’s or legal guardian’s home, to drive a vehicle, and 3) That child or underage person is found to have caused a traffic collision while driving the vehicle.

  • What happens if an adult breaks the law?

    A person who violates subdivision (a) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not to exceed one year, by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or by both imprisonment and fine.

  • Can the adult be sued?

    A parent, guardian, or another adult who knowingly furnishes alcoholic beverages at his or her residence to a person under 21 years of age, may be held legally accountable for damages suffered by that person, or for injury or damages to any third person, resulting from the consumption of those beverages.

  • Are there liability limits to the amount of money the adult can be sued for?

    Not specified.