Impaired driving laws in Newfoundland and Labrador
Impaired driving by alcohol, cannabis, other drugs or medication is a crime and a major cause of deaths on Newfoundland and Labrador roads. Drivers face two sets of law at once: the provincial Highway Traffic Act and the federal Criminal Code of Canada.
For new drivers the rule is simple. If you are a learner, a novice, under 22, or supervising a learner, your blood alcohol must be zero.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can state who must have zero blood alcohol.
- You can describe the roadside suspensions for novices and for other drivers.
- You can explain how drugs are detected and why medication can impair you.
- You can plan a sober way home.
What you need to know and understand
- Novice drivers (Level I and II) and all drivers under 22 must have zero alcohol in their blood.
- Accompanying drivers for learners and night-time novice drivers must also have zero alcohol.
- Drivers 22 or older who are not novices face a roadside suspension at 50 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood or more.
- At 80 mg or more, the vehicle is impounded and a 7-day suspension is followed by a further 90-day suspension.
- A novice who exceeds zero is suspended at the roadside: 2 months for a first time, 4 months for a second, 6 months for a third.
- Refusing a breath or drug test is a Criminal Code offence and also brings an immediate provincial licence suspension.
- A conviction for impaired driving brings a mandatory ignition interlock program of at least 12 months on reinstatement.
What happens to a novice at the roadside
If a police officer finds any alcohol at all in a novice driver, the licence is suspended on the spot. The suspension starts immediately, and the details arrive by certified mail. Suspensions grow with each occasion: 2 months, then 4, then 6. A novice found impaired by a drug, or showing drug presence on an approved test, faces the same escalating suspensions.
Before getting your licence back you must apply to the Registrar, complete an alcohol education program and possibly an assessment, and you restart your graduated licensing level. Our novice rules guide explains the knock-on effects.
Drugs, cannabis and medication
Cannabis slows reaction time, breaks concentration and distorts how you judge distance. Police can use an oral fluid (saliva) screening test that detects THC, methamphetamine and MDMA, followed by further tests if positive. Many legal medicines, including sleeping pills, some cold and allergy remedies and painkillers, can also impair you. Read labels, ask a pharmacist and do not drive until you know how a new medicine affects you.
Mixing alcohol and drugs makes the effects much stronger.
Penalties for everyone
- Criminal Code conviction: provincial licence suspension of 12 months for a first offence, 36 months for a second, 60 months for a third and life for a fourth.
- Mandatory ignition interlock after conviction: at least 12 months for a first offence, 36 for a second and 60 for a third, at your own cost.
- Impaired driving causing death can bring up to 14 years in prison under the Criminal Code.
Getting home safely
Decide before you go out: choose a sober designated driver, call a taxi, use public transport or stay over. If you see a driver you think is impaired, call 911 when it is safe.
Common mistakes
- Believing one drink is fine for a novice. Any alcohol at all means suspension.
- Thinking cannabis is safer than alcohol behind the wheel.
- Supervising a learner after a drink. Accompanying drivers must have zero alcohol too.
- Assuming prescription medicine cannot lead to an impaired driving charge.
Test yourself: Impaired driving laws in Newfoundland and Labrador
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Sources: Driver's Handbook (formerly the Road User Guide), Motor Registration Division, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (2025 edition); Highway Traffic Act, RSNL 1990 c H-3, Newfoundland and Labrador (current consolidation); Graduated Driver Licencing Program guidance, Motor Registration Division, Digital Government and Service NL; Criminal Code of Canada, Part VIII.1 (offences relating to conveyances). Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with your province or territory.