alcohol citation -- a criminal offense?

I got an alcohol citation and I am wondering if it is a criminal offense. I am applying to college and the question they are asking me is \"Have you ever been charged with, indicted for, pleaded guilty to, or been found guilty of any criminal offense?

You did not say where you are from.

In California a cite could either be a misdemeanor or an infraction. If it was a misdemeanor you would have signed a "promise to appear" and had a mandatory court date. An infraction basically means you just have to pay a fine and its all over. Basic speeding tickets, fix it tickets, etc, are all infractions (cite and release), you can either fight them, or pay them and be through. DUI, DV, etc are often misdemeanors and you are either arrested and taken into custody, or sign a promise to appear and either way must go to court.

But for example in Pennsylvania, underage alcohol or open container offenses are Summary Criminal violations. They would issue or file a citation that looks like a traffic ticket but is called a non-traffic citation. It is considered a criminal arrest but they do not take fingerprints or photos. Summary offenses are handled by a district justice, max penalty is $500 and or 90 days.

You could also call the court that was involved or prosecutor and ask how is the offense classified in your case. It is not a guess--it is either criminal or not. Both classifications exist for this offense.