Photo: Oleksandr Kobuta / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
The drink driving limit in Ireland is 20 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood for learner, novice and professional drivers, and 50 mg for other drivers. For a learner or novice, the lower limit can be reached with very little alcohol, and being caught means at least a 3-month driving ban. This guide sets out the limits, the bans, drug driving rules and what happens if you are stopped.
Key facts
- Learner, novice (first 2 years of a first licence) and professional drivers: 20 mg per 100 ml blood (9 microgrammes per 100 ml of breath).
- All other drivers: 50 mg per 100 ml blood (22 microgrammes per 100 ml of breath).
- Learner or novice over 20 mg but not over 80 mg: €200 fixed penalty and a 3-month ban.
- Drink driving is not dealt with by penalty points. It means a disqualification.
- Refusing to give a breath, blood or urine sample at a Garda station: minimum 4-year ban for a first offence.
What is the drink driving limit in Ireland?
| Measure | Learner, novice and professional drivers | Other drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Blood (per 100 ml) | 20 mg | 50 mg |
| Urine (per 100 ml) | 27 mg | 67 mg |
| Breath (per 100 ml) | 9 microgrammes | 22 microgrammes |
The law calls the lower-limit group “specified persons”. It covers:
- learner permit holders
- drivers within 2 years of getting their first full licence for that category (novices)
- drivers of trucks, buses and similar vehicles (categories C, C1, D, D1, EB, EC, EC1, ED, ED1, W) while driving those vehicles
- taxi and other small public service vehicle drivers while working
- anyone without a licence for the vehicle they are driving
There is no reliable way to know how many drinks put you over 20 mg. The Rules of the Road’s only advice is never to drink and drive.
What happens if a learner or novice is over the limit?
| Blood alcohol | Outcome for a learner or novice |
|---|---|
| Over 20 mg, not over 80 mg | Fixed penalty notice: €200 and a 3-month disqualification (if eligible, see below) |
| Over 80 mg | Court. Disqualification of at least 1 year (first offence) and a fine |
What happens to other drivers?
| Blood alcohol | Fixed penalty route | If it goes to court (first offence / second or later) |
|---|---|---|
| Over 50 mg, not over 80 mg | €200 and a 3-month ban | At least 6 months / 1 year |
| Over 80 mg, not over 100 mg | €400 and a 6-month ban | At least 1 year / 2 years |
| Over 100 mg, not over 150 mg | Court only | At least 2 years / 4 years |
| Over 150 mg | Court only | At least 3 years / 6 years |
The fixed penalty route is not available if you were already disqualified or had no licence at the time, or if you used a drink driving fixed penalty in the previous 3 years. Then the case goes to court. Figures are from the Road Traffic Act 2010 as revised to 1 January 2026.
Drug driving in Ireland
It is an offence to drive under the influence of any intoxicant, including prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, to the point where you cannot properly control the vehicle. Separately, it is an offence to drive with any of these drugs in your blood at or above these levels, whether or not you seem impaired:
| Drug | Level in whole blood |
|---|---|
| Cannabis (THC) | 1 ng/ml |
| Cannabis (THC-COOH) | 5 ng/ml |
| Cocaine | 10 ng/ml |
| Cocaine (benzoylecgonine) | 50 ng/ml |
| Heroin (6-acetylmorphine) | 5 ng/ml |
A person with a valid medical exemption certificate for a prescribed cannabis medicine is exempt from the cannabis levels, but not from the impairment offence. Gardaí can take a mouth swab (oral fluid) test at the roadside or at a checkpoint, and can ask you to do impairment tests such as walk and turn or one leg stand. Refusing is an offence. If a medicine might make you drowsy, check with your doctor or pharmacist before driving.
Being stopped by the Gardaí
- Gardaí can breath test any driver at a checkpoint without needing a reason.
- Drivers involved in a crash where someone is injured must be tested.
- Fail the roadside test and you will be arrested and asked for an evidential breath, blood or urine sample at a Garda station.
- Refusing to give that sample means a ban of at least 4 years for a first offence and 6 years for a second.
The morning after
The limit applies to the alcohol in your body when you drive, so you can still be over the limit the next morning. The law also covers alcohol that will push you over the limit within 3 hours of driving. As a learner or novice on a 20 mg limit, the safest choice is no alcohol at all before driving.
What a ban means for a learner or novice
- You cannot drive at all for the ban period, including with an accompanying driver.
- Driving while disqualified is a separate offence.
Common questions
Can a learner driver have one drink in Ireland?
The 20 mg limit is low enough that even one drink could put you over. There is no safe amount to rely on, so the only safe choice is none.
Do you get penalty points for drink driving in Ireland?
No. Every drink driving outcome is a disqualification, from 3 months on a fixed penalty up to 6 years or more in court.
How long am I a “novice” for the alcohol limit?
For 2 years from the date your first full licence for that category was issued.
Can I drive after taking prescribed medicine?
Only if it does not impair your driving. Check the label and ask your pharmacist or doctor.
Related: tiredness, drugs and road rage, N plates in Ireland, penalty points in Ireland, what to do at the scene of a crash. Back to learning to drive in Ireland.
Sources
- Law Reform Commission, “Road Traffic Act 2010”, sections 3, 4, 12 and 29, revised to 1 January 2026 (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
- Law Reform Commission, “Road Traffic Act 2010”, section 65 (consequential disqualification orders), revised (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
- Irish Statute Book, “Road Traffic Act 2024”, Part 4 Intoxicated driving offences (irishstatutebook.ie)
- Road Safety Authority, “Rules of the Road”, Section 13 Factors that affect safe driving (Revision 5, hosted on garda.ie)