Drink-driving limits by country
Limits are blood alcohol concentration, so 0.05 means 0.5 grams per litre. New drivers often have a lower limit. The only safe amount before driving is none.
| Country | Limit | New drivers | Who counts as new |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 0.02 | Same | |
| Japan | 0.03 | 0.03 | Japan has no separate limit for new drivers. |
| Australia | 0.05 | Zero | Learner and provisional (P plate) licence holders in every state and territory. In the Northern Territory, also any driver under 25 with less than 3 years' experience. |
| Canada | 0.05 | Zero | Drivers on a learner or probationary licence of any age, and young drivers (21 and under in Ontario, under 22 in Quebec). |
| Croatia | 0.05 | Zero | Drivers under 24 |
| France | 0.05 | 0.02 | Drivers on a probationary licence (permis probatoire), which is a first licence, usually held for 3 years or less, or one obtained again after cancellation. Learners in supervised driving have the same limit. |
| Germany | 0.05 | Zero | Drivers under 21, and drivers in the 2-year probationary period of a German licence |
| Greece | 0.05 | Same | |
| Ireland | 0.05 | 0.02 | Learner drivers, and drivers in the first 2 years after getting their first full licence |
| Italy | 0.05 | Zero | Drivers under 21, and drivers in their first 3 years after getting a car licence |
| New Zealand | 0.05 | Zero | Drivers under 20 years old |
| Portugal | 0.05 | 0.02 | Drivers in the probationary period, the first 3 years after getting a licence |
| Spain | 0.05 | 0.03 | Licence held for less than 2 years |
| Switzerland | 0.05 | 0.01 | Learner drivers and holders of a Swiss probationary licence, which lasts 3 years |
| United Kingdom | 0.08 | Same | |
| United States | 0.08 | 0.02 | Drivers under 21. Every state bans drivers under 21 from driving with any detectable alcohol. Most states set this at 0.02, and some lower. California sets 0.01. |