What's the drink-driving limit in Ireland?

For an experienced, fully licensed driver, the limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (0.05%), or 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. For learner and novice drivers, and for professional drivers, it drops to just 20 milligrams of blood alcohol. Ireland also uses a fixed-penalty system for lower readings and the courts for higher ones — here's how it all works.

The limits at a glance

These limits come from the Road Traffic Act 2010 and are set out in detail by Citizens Information. A novice driver is anyone holding a learner permit, or who has held a full licence for two years or less. The lower 20mg limit also applies to drivers of buses, lorries, work vehicles, taxis and other public service vehicles — so a bus driver and a first-year licence holder are held to the same strict standard.

How the limits are enforced

Under the Road Traffic Act 2010, An Garda Síochána can run mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints — Ireland's version of random breath testing. At an authorised checkpoint, a Garda can require any driver to provide a breath specimen without first having to form an opinion that you'd been drinking. Refusing or failing to provide a sample is itself an offence, and is treated as seriously as a high reading.

Outside a checkpoint, a Garda can still stop you and breathalyse you if they believe you've committed any road-traffic offence, or if you've been involved in a collision. The Road Safety Authority runs regular anti-drink-driving campaigns precisely because enforcement is year-round, not just at holiday periods.

The penalties: fixed-penalty notice vs court

What happens next depends on how far over the limit you are, whether you hold a valid licence, and whether it's your first offence. Lower readings can be dealt with by an administrative fixed-penalty notice; higher readings go to court.

Fixed-penalty notices (no court)

If you hold a valid licence, your reading is within the bands below, and you haven't received a drink-driving fixed-penalty notice in the previous three years, you'll be offered a notice. Pay within 28 days and you avoid a court appearance — but the disqualification still applies.

The 50–80mg band is worth noting: since 26 October 2018, drivers who once received three penalty points here are now disqualified for three months instead. There is no longer a "slap on the wrist" reading in Ireland — the lowest offence still costs you your licence for a quarter of a year.

Court penalties (higher readings)

If your blood alcohol is above 100mg, if you're a novice or professional driver above the limits and not eligible for a notice, or if you don't pay the notice, the matter goes to the District Court. The minimum disqualifications on conviction are:

These are floors, not ceilings — a judge can impose more. Being convicted of driving while so intoxicated that you couldn't properly control the vehicle carries a minimum four-year disqualification on a first offence. The maximum penalty for drink-driving alone is a €5,000 fine, six months' imprisonment, or both.

How many drinks is 50 milligrams?

There's no honest answer, and that's the point. In Ireland, a standard drink contains about 10 grams of pure alcohol — roughly:

• a half pint of lager or stout (around 4% strength)
• a small 100 ml glass of 12.5% wine
• a single pub measure (35.5 ml) of spirits

The trouble is that a pint is two standard drinks, and a generous glass of wine can be closer to two on its own. How much of that alcohol shows up in your blood depends on your weight, your sex, how fast you drank and whether you've eaten. Two people who drank the same can land on opposite sides of the limit. That's why Alcohol Action Ireland and the RSA both give the same advice: if you're driving, don't drink at all.

The morning after counts too

Alcohol leaves the body slowly — on average, your system clears only about one standard drink an hour, and nothing speeds it up. Sleep, coffee, a shower and a big breakfast make you feel more alert, but they don't lower your blood alcohol. After a heavy night you can still be over the 50mg limit well into the next morning, which is exactly when checkpoints catch people heading to work. If you drank late, do the maths before you drive — or leave the car.

How Ireland compares

Ireland shares its 0.05 general limit with Scotland, Australia and New Zealand, and sits well below the 0.08 still used in England, Wales and most of the United States. If you're driving in Ireland on a foreign licence, the Irish limits apply to you — and if you've held any full licence for two years or less, you're a novice driver here, so the 20mg limit is what counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the drink-driving limit in Ireland?

For experienced, fully licensed drivers it's 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood (0.05%), or 22 µg per 100 ml of breath. For learners, novices and professional drivers it's 20 mg of blood alcohol (9 µg of breath).

What's the penalty for being just over the limit?

An experienced driver between 50 and 80 mg, if eligible, gets a fixed-penalty notice: a €200 fine and a three-month disqualification, with no court appearance. Since 26 October 2018 this band means a disqualification rather than penalty points.

What's the limit for learner and professional drivers?

20 mg of blood alcohol (9 µg of breath). It applies to learner-permit holders, anyone licensed for two years or less, and drivers of buses, lorries, taxis and other public service and goods vehicles.

How many drinks can I have and still drive?

There's no safe count — weight, sex, timing and food all change your reading. If you're driving, the only reliable amount is none.

Can I be charged with drink-driving below the limit?

Yes. Driving while under the influence of an intoxicant to the point of not properly controlling the vehicle is a separate offence, regardless of your reading, and doesn't require a test at all.