Ohio Alcohol Related Laws and Regulations

Where to Buy Alcohol
Rather than retailers, who sell beer and table wine, state stores sell spirits in Ohio. The time when alcohol may be sold or served is mandated by local ordinances.

Legal Age for Drinking/Serving Alcohol
The legal drinking age in Ohio is 21, as it is in all states. At 21, you can also work as a bartender; however an individual can work as a server in a restaurant that sells alcohol at age 19. The minimum age to work in a liquor store or to transport alcohol is age 18.

Open Container Laws
Due to an open container law, any bottles of alcohol that have been previously opened must be carried in the trunk of a vehicle where the driver or passengers do not have access.

BAC Limits
A driver is considered to be ‘per se intoxicated’ if they are found to have a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .08 percent or more through chemical testing (breath, blood, or urine) by a police officer. The test results are the only evidence required to convict them of driving under the influence (DUI).

Drivers who exceed the .08 percent maximum BAC by .17 percent or higher can be faced with harsher penalties.

‘Zero tolerance laws’ discourage drivers under the age of 21 from drinking and driving. Underage drivers are more harshly punished by these laws than adults who drink and drive. Enhanced penalties are subjected to underage drivers with a BAC of .02 percent or more.

Penalties
‘Implied consent laws’ requires the driver that is suspected of driving under the influence to comply with breath, blood, or urine testing. If the driver refuses to take the tests, they can face the penalty of mandatory driver’s license suspension for up to one year.

For the first DUI conviction, the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) will remove the driver’s license for six months. For the second and third offenses, the driver’s license will be removed for one year.

With a third DUI conviction, treatment or assessment for alcohol abuse can be ordered by the courts. If there is a fourth DUI offense, the courts can permanently or temporarily confiscate the defendant’s vehicle. An ignition interlock system can also be installed in a convicted driver’s vehicle by the order of the court.

After the third conviction, DUI is considered a felony.