What's the drink-driving limit in Germany?
Germany's general drink-driving limit is 0.5‰ (0.05% BAC) — exactly the same as home. But the headline number hides the catch: it's zero for new and professional drivers, and from just 0.3‰ you can be prosecuted if anything goes wrong. Here's how the German system works, what the penalties are, and what to watch for if you're driving on an Australian licence.
The limits: 0.5‰ in general, but zero for some drivers
Germany measures alcohol in Promille — per mille, or parts per thousand — which lines up neatly with the percentage figure Australians know. The general limit of 0.5‰ is the same thing as 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC), so in principle the German limit and the Australian general limit are identical. Where Germany differs is in how many drivers that headline limit actually applies to.
Two groups face absolute zero tolerance: drivers in the two-year probationary period that follows getting a licence, and all drivers under the age of 21, whether or not they're still on probation. Professional drivers carrying passengers are also held to zero. For everyone else, there's a third number worth knowing — 0.3‰ — which isn't a free pass below 0.5‰ at all.
| Level | Who / when | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0‰ | Probationary & under-21 drivers; professionals carrying passengers | Zero tolerance — any alcohol is an offence |
| From 0.3‰ | Any driver who drives unsafely or crashes | Can be charged as a criminal offence despite being under 0.5‰ |
| 0.5‰ (0.05%) | General limit for experienced drivers | At or above this is an offence on its own |
| From 1.1‰ (0.11%) | Any driver | Automatically a criminal offence — "absolute unfitness to drive" |
These thresholds are set out by the European Transport Safety Council's country profile for Germany, which tracks the limits and penalties in each EU member state.
Why Germany splits the limit into bands
Rather than a single pass/fail line, Germany grades drink-driving by how high your reading is. The 0.5‰ to 1.09‰ range is an administrative offence (an Ordnungswidrigkeit) — serious, but handled with fines, bans and points. From 1.1‰ it crosses into criminal territory (a Straftat), on the legal reasoning that nobody is fit to drive at that level. For newer drivers the line is drawn at the bottom, at zero, because crash statistics everywhere — including Australia — show that inexperience and alcohol are a particularly dangerous combination.
The penalties climb fast
For an experienced driver caught in the 0.5‰ to 1.09‰ band, the penalties escalate with each offence:
| Offence (0.5–1.09‰) | Fine | Driving ban | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| First offence | €500 | 1 month | 2 |
| Second offence | €1,000 | 3 months | 2 |
| Third offence | €1,500 | 3 months | 2 |
From 1.1‰ upwards it's a criminal matter: a court-set fine or imprisonment, withdrawal of your licence (not just a temporary ban) and three points in the national driver register. The points go to the Fahreignungsregister in Flensburg, and accumulating enough of them costs you your licence outright. At higher readings German authorities also commonly require the Medizinisch-Psychologische Untersuchung — a medical-psychological assessment, nicknamed the "idiot test" — before a licence is returned.
Newer drivers are dealt with separately. Breaching the zero-tolerance rule in the probationary period brings a €250 fine, one point, a two-year extension of the probation period and a mandatory awareness seminar, as summarised in the ETSC profile above. It's a deliberately disruptive outcome for what might be a single drink.
How many drinks is 0.5‰?
There's no honest number, and it's worth being suspicious of any chart that offers one. The level you reach from a given drink depends on your body weight, sex, age, metabolism, how much you've eaten and the strength and size of the drink — which is why the same half-litre of German beer can leave two people at very different readings. A Maß (the one-litre stein you'll see at a beer hall or festival) is a lot of alcohol in one glass, and full-strength German lagers and wheat beers are often stronger than the Australian mid-strengths many people are used to.
| Drink | 80 kg man | 65 kg woman |
|---|---|---|
| Half-litre glass (0.5 L, 5%) — 20 g alcohol | ~0.36‰ — in the 0.3‰ band | ~0.55‰ — over the 0.5‰ limit |
| One Maß (1 L, 5%) — 39 g alcohol | ~0.73‰ — over the 0.5‰ limit | ~1.10‰ — criminal offence (1.1‰+) |
| Two Maß (2 L, 5%) — 79 g alcohol | ~1.45‰ — criminal offence (1.1‰+) | ~2.21‰ — criminal offence (1.1‰+) |
The only reliable rule is the one the law is built around: if you're driving, don't drink. If you want to understand how long alcohol lingers after a big night, our guide on how long until your BAC is zero walks through the maths.
Driving in Germany on an Australian licence
Australian visitors can generally drive in Germany on a valid full Australian licence for a short stay. Because your licence isn't in German, though, you should carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside it — it's an official translation of your licence, and hire-car companies will usually ask to see one. The Australian Government's Smartraveller advice for Germany sets out the current requirements and is worth checking before you travel.
What a foreign licence does not do is give you any extra room on the alcohol limit. The German limits — including zero tolerance if you've held your licence for under two years back home or you're under 21 — apply to you exactly as they do to a resident. There's a financial sting on top of the legal one, too: most travel-insurance policies and hire-car agreements exclude cover if you were over the limit, so a single bad decision can leave you personally liable for a crash as well as facing a German court.
The morning after still counts
Your body clears alcohol slowly — on average only about one standard drink an hour — and nothing speeds it up. Coffee, a big breakfast, a cold shower and a good sleep can make you feel sharper, but they don't lower your blood alcohol. After a long evening at a beer garden or a festival it's genuinely easy to still be over 0.5‰ the next morning, and if you're a newer driver the limit you have to clear is zero, not 0.5‰. If you drank late, do the maths before you pick up the keys — or leave the car and take the excellent German trains and trams instead.
How Germany compares
| Country | General limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 0.05% (0.5‰) | Zero for probationary, under-21 and professional drivers; criminal from 1.1‰ |
| Australia | 0.05% | Zero for learner and provisional drivers |
| England, Wales & NI | 0.08% | Among the highest limits in Europe |
| Ireland | 0.05% | 0.02% for learner, novice and professional drivers |
| Most of Europe | 0.05% | Several countries use 0.02% or zero |
If you're used to Australia's 0.05, Germany's general limit will feel familiar — but the zero-tolerance rules for newer drivers are stricter than many Australian travellers expect, and the 0.3‰ rule means there's no genuinely "safe" amount if your driving slips. For a wider view of the continent, see our country-by-country guide to drink-driving limits in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What is the drink-driving limit in Germany?
The general limit is 0.5‰ (0.05% BAC), the same as Australia's general limit. For drivers in their two-year probationary period, drivers under 21 and professionals carrying passengers, the limit is zero. And from 0.3‰ you can still be charged if you drive unsafely or crash.
Is the limit really zero for new drivers in Germany?
Yes. Germany applies absolute zero tolerance to drivers in the two-year probation period after licensing and to all drivers under 21. A breach means a €250 fine, a point in Flensburg, a two-year extension of the probation period and a mandatory seminar.
What are the penalties for drink-driving in Germany?
From 0.5‰ to 1.09‰ it's an administrative offence: €500 and a one-month ban for a first offence (€1,000 and €1,500 for repeats), plus two points. From 1.1‰ it's a criminal offence, with a heavy fine or prison, loss of your licence and three points. Driving unsafely or crashing from 0.3‰ can also be prosecuted.
How many drinks is 0.5 per mille?
There's no safe number — it's different for everyone depending on weight, sex, metabolism, food and the drink itself, and German beers are often stronger than Aussie mid-strengths. If you're driving, treat it as zero.
Can I drive in Germany on my Australian licence?
Generally yes for a short stay, but carry an International Driving Permit alongside it because your licence isn't in German, and hire firms usually ask for one. The German limits apply to you fully, and driving over them can void your travel insurance and hire-car cover.
Sources
Written by the Trendy Publishing editorial team from the sources below. This is general information only, not medical or legal advice — check with your doctor, pharmacist or the relevant authority for your situation.
- European Transport Safety Council — country profile for Germany
- Smartraveller — Germany