(a)

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class A misdemeanorup to 11 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 57-3-412

  • beverage: means and includes alcohol, spirits, liquor, wine, high alcohol content beer, and every liquid containing alcohol, spirits, wine, and high alcohol content beer and capable of being consumed by a human being, other than patent medicine or beer, as defined in §. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Commission: means the alcoholic beverage commission, except as otherwise provided. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Highway: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • License: means the license issued pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Manufacture: means and includes brewing high alcohol content beer, distilling, rectifying and operating a winery. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Municipality: means an incorporated town or city having a population of:
    (i) Seven hundred (700) or more, according to the 2010 federal census or a subsequent federal census. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) Except as otherwise provided, a violation of this chapter is a Class A misdemeanor.
(2) If any person shall, or shall attempt to, forge or counterfeit, or cause or permit to be forged or counterfeited, any stamp, die, plate, official signature, certificate, evidence of tax payment, license, or other instrument which has been provided or may be hereafter provided, made or used in the pursuance of the execution of this chapter as aforementioned, upon any paper or other material, or shall stamp or mark, or cause to be stamped or marked, any paper, or other material by such forged or counterfeited stamp, die, plate, official signature, certificate, evidence of tax payment, license or other instrument as aforementioned, or shall forge the name or signature of any officer, commissioner, deputy officer, or employee under this chapter or under the rules and the regulations of the commission, or cause the same to be done, or forge or counterfeit, or cause or permit to be forged or counterfeited, any evidence of the payment of any tax provided for in this chapter, with intent to defraud the state of any of the taxes imposed by this chapter, or any provision thereof, or shall in any otherwise, by imitating, restoring, altering, or reusing any stamp or other written evidence of the payment of such taxes knowingly defraud or attempt to defraud the state, or have or retain in such person’s possession any of such stamps which are forged or counterfeited, or any such evidence of such payment, or any stamp which has been altered, restored or counterfeited with intent to defraud the state, such person shall be punished for criminal conspiracy.
(3)

(A) It is unlawful for any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years to have in such person’s possession or to consume any intoxicating liquor or beer for any purpose, whether the same be possessed or consumed in a dry county or a wet county. It is unlawful for any person under twenty-one (21) years of age to transport any intoxicating liquor or beer for any purpose, whether the same be transported in a dry or wet county; provided, that this section shall not be construed as prohibiting any person eighteen (18) years of age or older from transporting, possessing, selling or dispensing intoxicating liquor or beer in the course of such person’s employment. For purposes of this subdivision (a)(3), “beer” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 57-6-102.
(B) A violation of subdivision (a)(3)(A) is a Class A misdemeanor.
(C) Any person under twenty-one (21) years of age found to have violated this subdivision (a)(3) shall, regardless of the final disposition of such violation, have the right to have the records, as defined in § 40-32-101, of such violation destroyed after the passage of six (6) months from the date of the violation. Such destruction shall occur upon motion of the person to the court which heard the violation and shall be without cost to such person. No violation of this subdivision (a)(3) may at any time be used against the violator in any criminal proceeding.
(4) Any person who purchases an alcoholic beverage for or at the request of a person under twenty-one (21) years of age commits a misdemeanor and, upon conviction for such person’s first such offense, shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), plus all penalties imposed by § 39-15-404. Upon a person’s second or subsequent conviction for such offense, such person shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), plus all penalties imposed by § 39-15-404.
(5)

(A) It is unlawful for any person who is younger than twenty-one (21) years of age to purchase or attempt to purchase any alcoholic beverage.
(B) A violation of this subdivision (a)(5) is a Class A misdemeanor.
(C)

(i) In addition to any criminal penalty established by this section, a court in which a person younger than twenty-one (21) years of age but eighteen (18) years of age or older is convicted of the purchase or attempt to purchase or possession of alcoholic beverages in violation of this section shall prepare and send to the department of safety, driver control division, within five (5) working days of the conviction, an order of denial of driving privileges for the offender.
(ii) The court and the department shall follow the same procedures and utilize the same sanctions and costs for a person younger than twenty-one (21) years of age but eighteen (18) years of age or older as provided in title 55, chapter 10, part 7, for offenders younger than eighteen (18) years of age but thirteen (13) years of age or older.
(b)

(1) The members of the highway patrol shall be authorized and it shall be their duty to assist the county and municipal police authorities to enforce this chapter, and any other chapter relating to the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, as defined in § 57-3-101, in any county or municipality, failing to adopt the rights granted under the various provisions of this chapter.
(2) Inspectors, agents or officers appointed by the commission shall be cloaked with and have the duty, power and authority to exercise the same functions and duties as conferred by law upon the highway patrol in the illegal traffic of intoxicating liquors. Inspectors, agents and officers of the commission shall have concurrent authority with the highway patrol in the enforcement of title 55, chapters 7-10 and 50 for the express purpose of enabling the commission properly to enforce the laws and regulations pertaining to traffic in alcoholic beverages.
(c) Any person under twenty-one (21) years of age who knowingly makes a false statement or exhibits false identification to the effect that the person is twenty-one (21) years old or older to any person engaged in the sale of alcoholic beverages for the purpose of purchasing or obtaining the same commits a misdemeanor. In addition to any criminal penalty established by this subsection (c), a court in which a person younger than twenty-one (21) years of age but eighteen (18) years of age or older is convicted under this subsection (c) of a second or subsequent offense shall prepare and send to the department of safety, driver control division, within five (5) working days of the conviction, an order of denial of driving privileges for the offender for a period not to exceed one (1) year. The offender may apply to the court for a restricted driver license. The judge shall order the issuance of a restricted motor vehicle operator’s license, in accordance with § 55-50-502. The court and the department shall follow the same procedures and utilize the same costs for a person younger than twenty-one (21) years of age but eighteen (18) years of age or older as provided in title 55, chapter 10, part 7, for offenders younger than eighteen (18) years of age but thirteen (13) years of age or older.

(1) If the person violating this subsection (c) is less than eighteen (18) years of age, that person shall be punished by a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) and not less than twenty (20) hours of community service work, which fine or penalty shall not be suspended or waived. The fine imposed by this subdivision (c)(1) shall apply regardless of whether the violator cooperates with law enforcement officers by telling them the place the alcohol was purchased or obtained or from whom it was purchased or obtained.
(2) If the person violating this subsection (c) is eighteen (18) years of age or older but less than twenty-one (21) years of age, that person shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200) or by imprisonment in the county jail or workhouse for not less than five (5) days nor more than thirty (30) days. The penalties imposed by this subdivision (c)(2) apply regardless of whether the violator cooperates with law enforcement officers by telling them the place the alcohol was purchased or obtained or from whom it was purchased or obtained.
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