The laws of driving under the influence vary between countries. One difference is the acceptable limit of blood alcohol content. For example, the legal BAC for driving in Bahrain is 0, despite drinking alcohol being allowed, in practice meaning that any alcohol level beyond the limit of detection will result in penalties. Penalties vary and may include fines, imprisonment, suspension of one's driver's license, vehicle impoundment or seizure, and mandatory training or education.
Countries without legal limit According to WHO data from 2018, the following countries had no legal limit for drinking and driving: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Burundi, Comoros, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Togo.
Countries with total bans for all people According to WHO data from 2018, the following countries had total bans of alcohol for all types of drivers (Young/novice drivers, commercial drivers): Afghanistan, Maldives, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen.
Africa The following is a list of the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limits for drivers in each African country:
Angola: 0.06% Algeria: 0.02% Benin: 0.05% Cape Verde: 0.08% Central African Republic: 0.08% Comoros: 0 Congo: 0.05% Egypt: 0.05% Equatorial Guinea: 0.05% Eritrea: 0.03% for commercial or professional drivers, 0.05% for all other drivers Ethiopia: 0.08 The Gambia: No limit Ghana: 0.08% Guinea: 0.08% Guinea-Bissau: No limit Kenya: 0.08% Libya: 0 Malawi: 0.08% Mauritius: 0.05% Morocco: 0.02% Namibia: 0.05% Niger: No limit Nigeria: 0.05% Rwanda: 0.08% Seychelles: 0.08% South Africa: 0.05%; 0.02% for professional drivers (trucks over 3.5 tonnes, and vehicles carrying passengers for reward) Togo: No limit Uganda: 0.08% Tanzania: Zero for professional or commercial drivers, 0.08% for all other drivers Zambia: 0.08%
Americas
North America
Canada: 0.08%, or impaired based on observation (federal criminal offences). Many provinces have administrative penalties related to drunk driving, often for BAC exceeding 0.04% or 0.05%. Some provinces have zero-tolerance policies for new drivers undergoing graduated licensing, or drivers under the age of 22.
Mexico: 0.04–0.10%
United States: 0.04% for commercial drivers. For other drivers, 0.05% or 0.08%, depending on state.
Caribbean Bahamas: 0.08% Cuba: 0 for young or inexperienced drivers and professional or commercial drivers, 0.05% for all other drivers Dominican Republic: 0.05% Jamaica: The law states that the legal alcohol limit is 35 μg/100 mL alcohol in breath or a blood alcohol level of 80 mg/100 mL alcohol in blood. Trinidad and Tobago: 35 μg/(100 mL) BrAC, 80 mg/100 mL BAC Cayman Islands: 0.07% BAC (Reduced from 0.10% in 2022)
Central America Belize: 0.08% Costa Rica: 0.02% for public transport, commercial drivers and new drivers, or 0.05% for all others. More results in a fine of CRC 280,000 (US$489.61 as of 27 July 2017). A BAC in excess of 0.05% for public transport, commercial drivers and new drivers or 0.075% for all others additionally results in a 1- to 3-year prison sentence, vehicle impoundment and 2-year licence suspension. El Salvador: 0.00% Guatemala: No limit Honduras: 0.07% Nicaragua: 0.05% Panama: 0.08%
South America Argentina: 0%. In 2023, Argentina adopted a national zero tolerance law. The law applies on national roads, and 18 out of 24 provincial jurisdictions have adopted the limit of 0.0 g/l for provincial routes. As of February 2024, the provinces of CABA, Corrientes, Misiones, Mendoza, San Juan and Santa Fe retain the old limits (0% for public transport and commercial vehicles, 0.02% for motorcycles, and 0.05% for all others). Bolivia: 0.05% for professional drivers only Brazil: Since 2008 Brazil practices zero tolerance. If a driver is found to be driving with any BAC (up to 0.06%), the driver is to have their license suspended for 12 months, pay a fine of BRL 2,934.70 (doubled if recurrence) and will have the car seized. Anything above 0.06% is considered a criminal offense.Imprensa Nacional - Presidência da República / Casa Civil, Diário Oficial da União - Seção 1 - Edição 20 de 29 January 2013, Pag. 30Imprensa Nacional - Presidência da República / Casa Civil, Diário Oficial da União - Seção 1 - Edição 20 de 29 January 2013, Pag. 31 Chile: From 15 March 2012, 0.03–0.08% the driver is considered to be driving under the influence and carries a three-month suspension and a fine of US$82–410 (); over 0.08% the driver is considered to be drunk and carries a prison term of 61 to 301 days, a fine of US$164–820 () and a two-year suspension for the first offense, a five-year suspension for a second offense, and a life suspension for a third offense.Chile Transit Law, Articles 110, 193 and 196. Chile Library of Congress, accessed on 18 March 2012. Colombia: Colombia is known to have the toughest penalties against those driving under the influence in all of Latin America and practice a zero tolerance policy on DUIs. If a driver is found to be driving with 20–39 mg/100 mL ethanol in blood (equivalent to 0.02–0.039% BAC), the driver is to have their license suspended for a year, pay a fine of US$914 (), and serve twenty hours of community service. In the most extreme cases, if a driver is found to be driving with grade three alcohol (150 mg/100 mL ethanol in blood), the driver is to have their licence confiscated for ten years, pay a fine of US$7,314 (), and serve fifty hours of community service. If the driver gets in a crash and causes injuries and or deaths, the driver is to face between 2.5 and eighteen years of prison sentence and their license will be cancelled permanently. Ecuador: 0.01% for commercial or professional drivers; 0.03% for all other drivers Guyana: 0.08% Paraguay: 0 Peru: Drivers below a 0.05% BAC will be given a warning. At a 0.05% and over, the driver will be given a fine and a license suspension of no less than six months and no more than two years. If the driver is involved in a crash without causing death or severe injury to another individual, he or she may possibly face jail time. If the driver causes a crash with a BAC over 0.101%, involving death or severe injury to another party, he or she will receive a mandatory prison sentence of three to five years. The driver's license will also be permanently revoked. Suriname: 0.05% Uruguay: 0. The driver will have to pay a fine of US$448 () and will have their licence suspended. Depending on the concentration of alcohol in blood and the times the driver was found guilty, the suspension goes from a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years. If the driver causes a crash involving death, he or she will be charged with negligent homicide and will face a minimum of six months in prison. Venezuela: 0.08%
Asia
Central Asia
Mongolia: 0.05% Turkmenistan: 0.03%
East Asia Mainland China: 0.02%.Chinese Standard: Blood-breath alcohol concentration and examination for driving (2011) Over 0.02% but under 0.08%: 1,000–2,000 fine, six-month license suspension; Over 0.08%: up to three years' imprisonment,中华人民共和国刑法 (2011年)(in Chinese). Wikisource Chinese. Retrieved 22 February 2015. five-year license suspension. If the driver causes serious injuries or death, they will be charged with crime and the license will be permanently cancelled.中华人民共和国道路交通安全法(in Chinese). Wikisource Chinese. Retrieved 22 February 2015. Hong Kong: 0.05% or BrAC 0.22 mg/L or urine 0.067%. Driving under the influence of alcohol beyond legal limit is punishable with a monetary fine and up to three years' imprisonment, with ten driving-offense points and mandatory Driving Improvement Course. Japan: BrAC 0.15 mg/L (equivalent to 0.03%). Additionally, regardless of alcohol readings, police may also determine the driver to be "driving drunk", which is punished more severely than exceeding the designated alcohol limits. Effectively zero for drivers under 20 because of the legal drinking age. South Korea: BAC 0.03%-0.08% : License suspension for 90 days and fine up to KRW 5,000,000(about USD $5,000).BAC 0.08%-0.20% : License revocation for a year and fine up to KRW 10,000,000(about USD $10,000).BAC over 0.2% or DUI caught 3 times : License revocation for indefinite period and imprisonment for up to 5 years and fine up to KRW 20,000,000(about USD $20,000).Drunk driving crash resulting in death : 3 years minimum, up to life imprisonment. The penalties were increased after public resentment towards lenient sentencing. Criticism of lenient sentencing has continued. Taiwan: 0.03% (BrAC 0.15 mg/L). The fines vary depending on the vehicle being driven at the time of offence. Scooter and motorcycle drivers convicted of first time DUI offenses will be subject to a fine between NT$15,000 and NT$90,000. Other motorists can be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$120,000 for first-time DUI offenses, while second-time offenders are liable to a fine of NT$120,000. Cyclists and passengers of drunk drivers are also able to be penalised.
South Asia Afghanistan: 0 Bangladesh: 0 India: 0.03%. This is according to section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988. On a first offence, the punishment is imprisonment of six months, a fine of 10,000 Indian Rupees (INR) or both. If the second offense is committed within three years, the punishment is two years, a fine of 15,000 Indian Rupees (INR) or both. The clause of 30 mg/dL was added by an amendment in 1994. It came into effect beginning 14 November 1994. Nepal: 0. Breathalyzer testing is regularly used in major cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Biratnagar, and highways. For more verification, driver will be taken to nearest hospitals for blood and urine test (if demanded by the driver). License will be seized instantly. Driver will get the license back after attending anti-alcoholic classes run by Nepal Traffic Police and a NRS 1000 fine will be charged. Pakistan: Falls under drink and drugs, S. No 14. No set limit. Eight penalty points. Sri Lanka: 0.06%. Breathalyzer testing is not used routinely. If suspected by police the driver is produced before the closest government medical officer who examines and determines whether the driver is under influence. If the driver refuses examination by the medical officer, they are considered to have been under influence by default.
Southeast Asia Brunei: 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath or 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. Cambodia: 0.05% Indonesia: 0 Laos: 80 mg/100 mL of blood.In April 2010 Vientiane Traffic Police Department launched operation A+E (Awareness and Enforcement) to crack down on driving offences including drunk driving. The KPL Lao news release 6 April 2010 mentions the national legal limit as 80 mg. Malaysia: 0.08%, or 80 mg/100 mL alcohol in blood. According to the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act of 2020, which took effect on 23 October 2020, the following are the alcohol limits imposed by amendment: 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath; 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood; 67 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of urine. Philippines: The Republic Act 10586 or the "Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013" indicates that blood alcohol content (BAH) should be 0.05% for non-professional drivers and 0.01% for motorcycle riders and professional drivers. A traffic enforcer must first establish probable cause before directing a motorist suspected of DUI to pull over. Then, the motorist should do the following field sobriety tests—the horizontal gaze nystagmus (eye test), the walk-and-turn, and one-leg stand. A breath analyzer shall only be used after the motorist fails these three tests. Singapore: 0.08% (80 mg/100 mL alcohol blood) or BrAC: 35 μg/100 mL alcohol in breath, strictly enforced.""prescribed limit" means — (a) 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; or