Alcohol and the Law

Whether you are under 21 or over 21, alcohol can get you into trouble with the law.  Every year, hundreds of alcohol-related citations are handed out in Chapel Hill.  A citation costs you time and money and may and may limit future opportunities for employment or admission into professional or graduate schools.

• If you are under 21, it is illegal to possess, sell, distribute, or consume alcohol anywhere on campus or off campus. 
• It is illegal to have and to use a fake ID.  An ID is considered “fake” if it is completely fraudulent, or if you use someone else’s ID as your own.
• It is illegal to help an underage person obtain alcohol. 
• It is illegal to have an open container of alcohol on campus and in many other public spaces, including public roads and sidewalks and property owned by the town of Chapel Hill.
• It is illegal for any person under the age of 21 to have any amount of alcohol in their body at any time.  It is illegal for any person 21 years of age or older to have a BAC of .08 or more when driving.
• Someone incapacitated by alcohol is unable to give consent for sexual contact. Initiating sexual contact with someone unable to freely give consent is sexual assault.

For more information on national, local, and university policies, please contact Student Legal Services.