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Legal BAC limits by country

Legal limits by country and what one drink holds

Every limit below was read off that country's own government source on the date shown, and the link goes to the statute or the authority — not to another summary.

CountryLegal limit‰Stricter limit for
United States0.08 %0.8 ‰set by state law
Germany0.5 ‰0.5 ‰0 ‰
Norway0.2 ‰0.2 ‰—
Poland0.2 ‰0.2 ‰—
Finland0.5 ‰0.5 ‰—
France0.5 g/l0.5 ‰0.2 ‰
Japan0.3 ‰0.3 ‰—
Sweden0.2 ‰0.2 ‰—
Denmark0.5 ‰0.5 ‰0.2 ‰
Netherlands0.5 ‰0.5 ‰0.2 ‰
Italy0.5 g/l0.5 ‰0 ‰
Spain0.5 g/l0.5 ‰0.3 ‰
United Kingdom80 mg/100 ml0.8 ‰0.5 ‰
Australia0.05 %0.5 ‰0 ‰
Canada80 mg/100 ml0.8 ‰—

United States

0.08 %

Blood
0.8 ‰
Utah
0.5 ‰
Holders of a commercial driving licence, while driving a commercial vehicle
0.4 ‰
Drivers under 21
set by state law

Road traffic alcohol limits here are set by each state or territory, so they differ inside the country. The figure shown is the one that applies almost everywhere.

Drunk Driving — NHTSA; 49 CFR 383.51 — govinfo.govChecked against the official source on October 23, 2026

Germany

0.5 ‰

Blood
0.5 ‰
Breath
0,25 mg/l
Drivers in their probationary period and all drivers under 21
no alcohol at all

From 0.3 ‰, a driver who shows signs of impairment (weaving, an accident) commits a criminal offence under § 316 StGB. The figure comes from court practice; the statute names no number.

From 1.1 ‰ the courts treat a driver as unfit to drive whatever else the evidence shows. That threshold comes from settled court practice, not from the wording of the statute.

From 1.6 ‰ the licensing authority orders a medical-psychological assessment (MPU) before the licence can be returned (§ 13 FeV).

§ 24a, § 24c StVG — Bundesamt für Justiz§ 316 StGB — Bundesamt für Justiz§ 13 FeV — Bundesamt für JustizChecked against the official source on October 26, 2026

Finland

0.5 ‰

Blood
0.5 ‰
Breath
0,22 mg/l

Driving over this limit is already a criminal offence here: a fine or up to six months in prison.

From 1.2 ‰ it is aggravated drunk driving, with up to two years in prison.

Rikoslaki 23 luku 3 § ja 4 § — FinlexChecked against the official source on October 26, 2026

France

0.5 g/l

Blood
0.5 ‰
Breath
0,25 mg/l
Drivers in their first three years
0.2 ‰

Above 0.8 ‰ it stops being a fine and becomes a criminal offence.

Alcool au volant — service-public.gouv.frChecked against the official source on October 23, 2026

Japan

0.3 ‰

Blood
0.3 ‰
Breath
0,15 mg/l

The Japanese order states both figures itself, so the breath and blood numbers are not a conversion.

A separate, heavier offence applies to a driver who cannot drive safely; since 21 July 2026 the law also attaches a figure of 0.5 mg/l of breath to it.

道路交通法施行令 第44条の3 — e-Gov法令検索Checked against the official source on October 23, 2026

Sweden

0.2 ‰

Blood
0.2 ‰
Breath
0,10 mg/l

Driving over this limit is already a criminal offence here: a fine or up to six months in prison.

From 1.0 ‰ it is aggravated drunk driving, with up to two years in prison.

Ratt- och sjöfylleri — PolisenChecked against the official source on October 26, 2026

Italy

0.5 g/l

Blood
0.5 ‰
Drivers under 21
no alcohol at all
Drivers in their first three years
no alcohol at all
Drivers carrying people or goods for a living
no alcohol at all

Above 0.8 ‰ it stops being a fine and becomes a criminal offence.

Codice della Strada, art. 186 e 186-bis — NormattivaChecked against the official source on October 23, 2026

United Kingdom

80 mg/100 ml

Blood
0.8 ‰
Breath
35 µg/100 ml
Urine
107 mg/100 ml
Scotland
0.5 ‰

The drink drive limit — GOV.UKChecked against the official source on October 23, 2026

Australia

0.05 %

Blood
0.5 ‰
Learner and provisional licence holders
no alcohol at all

Road traffic alcohol limits here are set by each state or territory, so they differ inside the country. The figure shown is the one that applies almost everywhere.

Alcohol limits, drugs and medicines — NSW GovernmentChecked against the official source on October 23, 2026

How to read the table

Countries do not write their limit the same way. Per mille (‰) is grams of alcohol per litre of blood and is normal across Europe; the United States and Australia use a percentage of the same quantity; the United Kingdom and Canada count milligrams per 100 ml; Japan's order states a figure for breath and a figure for blood side by side. The table shows each country as its own law words it, with the per-mille value next to it so you can compare them.

The stricter limit column matters more than people expect. New drivers, drivers under 21 and anyone driving for a living face a lower figure — often zero — in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia. A limit of 0.5 ‰ is not your limit if you passed your test last year.

Fines are not the point, but here is the shape of them

Penalties are set in a different place from limits and change far more often, so this page does not print a table of amounts it cannot keep current. What is stable is the structure: most countries have a lower band handled as an administrative offence with a fine and licence points, and a higher band that is a criminal offence with a court, a possible prison sentence and the loss of your licence. The table shows where that line sits where the statute states it.

Above the criminal threshold the consequences stop being about money. An accident while over the limit changes the charge, the insurance position and in several countries the vehicle itself is confiscated.

Where a figure could not be confirmed

Two numbers that circulate widely are not in any statute, and this page says so rather than repeating them as law. Germany's 1.1 ‰ threshold for "absolute unfitness to drive" comes from settled court practice — § 316 of the criminal code names no value at all. And the United States has no single federal figure for drivers under 21: each state sets its own, and almost all of them set it at or near zero.

Related guides

Can You Still Be Over the Limit the Next Morning?Why a night's sleep does not reset your blood alcohol, how to work out when you will really be at zero, and the figures for common evenings — computed, not guessed.Read the guide →How Breathalyzers Work – Breath vs Blood AlcoholHow a breathalyzer turns the alcohol in your breath into a blood alcohol figure, why every country uses its own conversion, and why a home tester is not a green light.Read the guide →Zero Tolerance for New Drivers – Country by CountryWhich countries set a lower or zero alcohol limit for new drivers, drivers under 21 and professional drivers, each read off the government source, with what it means in practice.Read the guide →

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the strictest drink driving limit?

Of the countries listed here, Norway, Poland and Sweden sit lowest at 0.2 ‰. Several countries go to zero for specific drivers: Germany during the probationary period and under 21, Italy for under-21s, new drivers and professional drivers, and Australia for learner and provisional licences.

Is 0.08 the limit everywhere in the US?

Almost. NHTSA states 0.08 % for all fifty states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, with Utah at 0.05 % since December 2018. Commercial drivers face 0.04 % under federal regulation, and any measured alcohol at all while on duty is prohibited.

What is the drink drive limit in the UK?

80 mg per 100 ml of blood, 35 µg per 100 ml of breath and 107 mg per 100 ml of urine in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland is lower: 50, 22 and 67.

Does the limit apply to bicycles and scooters too?

In many countries yes, often with a different figure and a different offence. This page covers motor vehicles; check the local rule before you assume a bike is exempt.

How often are these figures checked?

Each row carries the date it was last read off its government source, and the link next to it takes you to that source so you can check it yourself.

More on this site

Standard drink sizesLimits & drinksBAC calculatorCalculatorsHow long alcohol stays in your systemCalculators

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Every figure on this page is an estimate from an average body. Your own reading can be higher.