Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 67 - ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES (§§ 67-1-1 — 67-11-11) › Chapter 3 - SALE OF LIGHT WINE, BEER, AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES (§§ 67-3-1 — 67-3-75) › Section 67-3-70 - Purchase of light wine, light spirit product or beer by person under age of 21; penalties; expungement of conviction

(1)
Except as otherwise provided by Section
67-3-54
, any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years who purchases or possesses any light wine, light spirit product or beer shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and a sentence to not more than thirty (30) days community service.
(2)
Any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years who falsely states he is twenty-one (21) years of age or older or presents any document that indicates he is twenty-one (21) years of age or older for the purpose of purchasing or possessing any light wine, light spirit product or beer shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and a sentence to not more than thirty (30) days community service.
(3)
Except as otherwise provided by Section
67-3-54
, any person who knowingly purchases light wine, light spirit product or beer for, or gives light wine, light spirit product or beer to a person under the age of twenty-one (21) years, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and a sentence to not more than thirty (30) days community service. The punishment provided under this subsection shall not be applicable to violations of Section
97-5-49
.
(4)
The term "community service" as used in this section shall mean work, projects or services for the benefit of the community assigned, supervised and recorded by appropriate public officials.
(5)
If a person under the age of twenty-one (21) years is convicted or enters a plea of guilty of violating subsection (1) or subsection (2) of this section, the trial judge, in lieu of the penalties otherwise provided under this section, shall suspend the minor's driver's license by taking and keeping it in the custody of the court for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days. The judge so ordering the suspension shall enter upon his docket "DEFENDANT'S DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENDED FOR ____ DAYS IN LIEU OF CONVICTION" and such action by the trial judge shall not constitute a conviction. During the period that the minor's driver's license is suspended, the trial judge shall suspend the imposition of any fines or penalties that may be imposed under this section and may place the minor on probation subject to such conditions as the judge deems appropriate. If the minor violates any of the conditions of probation, then the trial judge shall return the driver's license to the minor and impose the fines, penalties, or both, that he would have otherwise imposed, and such action shall constitute a conviction.
(6)
Any person who has been charged with a violation of subsections (1) or (2) of this section may, not sooner than one (1) year after the dismissal and discharge or completion of any sentence and/or payment of any fine, apply to the court for an order to expunge from all official records all recordation relating to his arrest, trial, finding or plea of guilty, and dismissal and discharge. If the court determines that such person was dismissed and the proceedings against him discharged or that such person had satisfactorily served his sentence and/or paid his fine, it shall enter such order.
Laws, 1985, ch. 431, § 3; Laws 2002, ch. 570, § 5; Laws, 2011, ch. 435, § 2; Laws, 2011, ch 472, § 2, eff. 7/1/2011.
Amended by Laws, 2020, ch. 314, HB 917,§ 34, eff. 6/18/2020.