My blog is all about non alcoholic and alcohol free drinks but obviously there is a large overlap with the alcoholic world. I was researching if you can drink non alcoholic beer and drive (full article is here) and as part of that i had to find all the state limits for DUI. These are all good things to share as i will not be the only person who is googling “what are the drunk driving limits by state”
What are the drunk driving limits by state?
I have collated the drunk driving limits for all the US states below.
For nearly all drivers, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is 0.08%. however commercial and drivers under 21 have lower levels.
| State | Standard BAC Level | Commercial Driver BAC Level | “Zero Tolerance” BAC Level | Enhanced Penalty BAC Level | “Implied Consent” Law |
| Alabama | .08 | .04 | .02 | — | Yes |
| Alaska | .08 | .04 | .00 | .15 | Yes |
| Arizona | .08 | .04 | .00 | .15 | Yes |
| Arkansas | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| California | .08 | .04 | .02 | .16 | Yes |
| Colorado | .08 | .04 | .02 | .17 | Yes |
| Connecticut | .08 | .04 | .02 | .16 | Yes |
| Delaware | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| District of Columbia | .08 | .04 | .00 | .15 | Yes |
| Florida | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Georgia | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Hawaii | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Idaho | .08 | .04 | .02 | .20 | Yes |
| Illinois | .08 | .04 | .00 | .16 | Yes |
| Indiana | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Iowa | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Kansas | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Kentucky | .08 | .04 | .02 | .18 | Yes |
| Louisiana | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Maine | .08 | .04 | .00 | .15 | Yes |
| Maryland | .08 | .04 | .02 | — | Yes |
| Massachusetts | .08 | .04 | .02 | .20 | Yes |
| Michigan | .08 | .04 | .02 | .17 | Yes |
| Minnesota | .08 | .04 | .00 | .16 | Yes |
| Mississippi | .08 | .04 | .02 | — | Yes |
| Missouri | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Montana | .08 | .04 | .02 | — | Yes |
| Nebraska | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Nevada | .08 | .04 | .02 | .18 | Yes |
| New Hampshire | .08 | .04 | .02 | .18 | Yes |
| New Jersey | .08 | .04 | .01 | .10 | Yes |
| New Mexico | .08 | .04 | .02 | .16 | Yes |
| New York | .08 | .04 | .02 | .18 | Yes |
| North Carolina | .08 | .04 | .00 | .15 | Yes |
| North Dakota | .08 | .04 | .02 | .18 | Yes |
| Ohio | .08 | .04 | .02 | .17 | Yes |
| Oklahoma | .08 | .04 | .02 | .17 | Yes |
| Oregon | .08 | .04 | .00 | — | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | .08 | .04 | .02 | .16 | Yes |
| Rhode Island | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| South Carolina | .08 | .04 | .02 | .16 | Yes |
| South Dakota | .08 | .04 | .02 | .17 | Yes |
| Tennessee | .08 | .04 | .02 | .20 | Yes |
| Texas | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Utah | .05 | .04 | .02 | .16 | Yes |
| Vermont | .08 | .04 | .02 | — | Yes |
| Virginia | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Washington | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| West Virginia | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Wisconsin | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
| Wyoming | .08 | .04 | .02 | .15 | Yes |
How many beers gets you to 0.08% BAC?
The drunk driving limit is the same as when you are legally drunk we just need to work out that number for both.
What is a standard beer?
The first thing is to work from a “standard” beer. Obviously beers come in all shapes, sizes and strengths but the USDA have stated what a standard beer, wine and spirit are. They all have the same amount of alcohol but different volumes and concentrations
| Drink and volume | Alcohol content |
| 12fl oz Beer | 5% |
| 5fl oz Wine | 12% |
| 1.5fl oz Spirit | 40% |
A standard beer is a 5%, 12fl oz can.
The CDC tell us that the average 160lb adult male (is 160lb average by the way?!) needs to drink x4 12fl oz cans of 5% ABV beer (standard beers) to get drunk. Therefore, you would not be able to drive after 4 standard beers.
These have to be drank over a short period, perhaps 2 hours, as you liver begins to break down the alcohol as soon as it is transported to it via the blood.
