TL;DR: The current drink-drive limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 50mg per 100ml of blood in Scotland. There is no reliable number of drinks you can have and still legally drive, as alcohol affects everyone differently. The safest option if you're driving is not to drink alcohol at all.
Drink driving is illegal across the UK and can result in a driving ban, an unlimited fine, a criminal conviction and, in the most serious cases, imprisonment.
The legal alcohol limit is also not the same everywhere in the UK. Scotland has a lower limit than England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There are also proposals to change the drink-drive laws, so it's important to understand the difference between the current legal limits and any proposed future changes.
What is the drink-driving limit in the UK?
The current drink-driving limits are:
| Location | Breath | Blood | Urine |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 35mg per 100ml | 80mg per 100ml | 107mg per 100ml |
| Wales | 35mg per 100ml | 80mg per 100ml | 107mg per 100ml |
| Scotland | 22mg per 100ml | 50mg per 100ml | 67mg per 100ml |
| Northern Ireland | 35mg per 100ml | 80mg per 100ml | 107mg per 100ml |
These are the current statutory limits. Scotland has had its lower limit since December 2014.
The important point is that there isn't a specific number of pints, glasses of wine or units of alcohol that guarantees you'll be below the legal limit.
The effect of alcohol varies from person to person depending on factors including your weight, age, sex, metabolism, what you've eaten and how much and what type of alcohol you've consumed.
How much can you drink and still drive?
There is no reliable answer to this question.
You may hear rules such as "one unit of alcohol per hour", but this should not be used to calculate when you are safe or legally able to drive.
Alcohol is absorbed and processed differently by different people. Even if two people drink the same amount, they can have different alcohol levels.
Your alcohol level can also continue to rise after you've stopped drinking.
This means you cannot accurately work out your blood or breath alcohol level simply by counting drinks or waiting a certain number of hours.
If you need to drive, the safest approach is to avoid alcohol altogether.
The Highway Code also warns that alcohol can affect your driving ability even when you are below the legal limit. It can reduce coordination, slow reactions and affect your judgement of speed, distance and risk.
Can you drive the morning after drinking?
Yes, but you can potentially still be over the legal limit the morning after drinking.
Alcohol takes time to leave your body, and the amount of time this takes varies between individuals.
For example, assuming that you have slept for several hours after drinking does not mean that you will definitely be below the legal limit when you wake up.
This is why "morning after" drink driving is a particular risk.
If you drank heavily the previous evening, don't assume that sleeping, eating breakfast, drinking coffee or having a cold shower will make you safe to drive. These things do not provide a reliable way of removing alcohol from your body.
If you are unsure whether you are fit to drive, don't drive.
What happens if you're caught drink driving?
The consequences can be serious.
For driving or attempting to drive while above the legal alcohol limit or unfit through drink, you may receive:
- Up to six months in prison
- An unlimited fine
- A driving ban of at least 12 months
- A longer ban for repeat offences
A second conviction for drink driving within 10 years can result in a minimum three-year driving ban.
You could also face significant increases in your car insurance costs, and a conviction can have implications for employment where driving is part of your job.
What if you're in charge of a car but aren't driving?
You can also be prosecuted for being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through drink.
The maximum penalties include:
- Up to three months in prison
- A fine of up to £2,500
- A possible driving ban
So simply deciding not to drive after drinking does not necessarily remove all legal risk if you are still in charge of a vehicle.
What happens if you refuse a breathalyser or alcohol test?
Refusing to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine for analysis can itself result in serious penalties.
You may receive:
- Up to six months in prison
- An unlimited fine
- A driving ban of at least 12 months
The minimum ban can increase to three years if you are convicted twice within 10 years.
There are specific legal circumstances around when police can require specimens and which type of specimen is used, so refusing a test is not a way to avoid a drink-driving offence.
What is a DR10 conviction?
DR10 is the endorsement code used for driving or attempting to drive with an alcohol level above the prescribed limit.
A DR10 conviction can result in between three and 11 penalty points, although drink-driving offences normally involve disqualification rather than simply adding points to your licence. The DR10 endorsement remains on your driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.
Other drink-related endorsement codes include:
- DR20 – driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink
- DR30 – driving or attempting to drive and failing to provide a specimen
- DR40 – being in charge of a vehicle while above the alcohol limit
- DR50 – being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink
DR40 and DR50 endorsements remain on a driving record for four years, while DR10, DR20 and DR30 remain for 11 years.
Can a drink-driving ban be reduced?
If you are disqualified from driving for 12 months or more, the court may offer you a drink-drive rehabilitation scheme (DDRS) course.
Completing the course can reduce the length of your driving ban, but it is not automatically available in every case. The court decides whether to offer it.
You will need to apply for a new driving licence after your disqualification ends.
What is a high-risk drink-driving offender?
Some drivers are classed as high-risk offenders.
This includes drivers who:
- Have been convicted of two drink-driving offences within 10 years
- Have been convicted after recording at least 87.5µg of alcohol per 100ml of breath
- Have recorded at least 200mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood
- Have recorded at least 267mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine
- Refused to provide a specimen for alcohol testing in certain circumstances
High-risk offenders have to satisfy the DVLA that they are fit to drive before their licence can be returned. This normally involves a medical examination with a DVLA-appointed doctor.
What happens if drink driving causes a death?
The penalties become considerably more serious if drink driving results in someone's death.
Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink can result in:
- Life imprisonment
- An unlimited fine
- A driving ban of at least five years
- An extended driving test before your licence can be returned
These are maximum or minimum statutory consequences rather than an automatic sentence for every case. The actual penalty depends on the circumstances and the court.
Does alcohol affect your driving even if you're below the limit?
Yes. Being below the legal limit does not mean that alcohol has had no effect on your driving.
The Highway Code states that alcohol can:
- Reduce coordination
- Slow your reactions
- Affect your judgement
- Affect your assessment of speed, distance and risk
- Give you a false sense of confidence
This is one reason why the legal limit should not be treated as a target amount of alcohol to consume before driving.
Are the UK drink-driving limits changing?
There are proposals to change the drink-driving rules, but the current limits should not be confused with proposed limits.
In February 2026, the UK Government published a consultation on proposed changes to motoring offences, including drink driving. Among the issues being considered is whether the legal alcohol limit in England and Wales should be lowered.
The consultation also considers a lower limit for novice drivers.
Northern Ireland has also been moving towards a lower drink-driving limit. Government documentation states that the planned limits would be:
- 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood
- 22mg per 100ml of breath
- 67mg per 100ml of urine
There are also provisions for lower limits for certain novice and professional drivers.
However, these proposed changes should not be presented as the current law.
For now, the current limits remain:
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- 80mg/100ml blood
- 35mg/100ml breath
- 107mg/100ml urine
Scotland
- 50mg/100ml blood
- 22mg/100ml breath
- 67mg/100ml urine.
How common are drink-drive collisions?
Drink driving remains a significant road-safety issue.
The latest Department for Transport figures for Great Britain cover 2024. They show that around 5% of casualties in reported road collisions occurred in drink-drive collisions. The figure was around 5% in England, 9% in Wales and 5% in Scotland.
The figures are estimates and cover Great Britain rather than the whole UK, as Northern Ireland is reported separately.
What should you do if you've been drinking?
If you've been drinking, don't try to calculate whether you're "probably" under the limit.
Instead:
- Leave the car where it is
- Use a taxi or private hire vehicle
- Ask someone who has not been drinking to drive
- Use public transport where available
- Stay overnight if necessary
- Arrange your journey home before you start drinking
Remember that you could still be over the limit the following morning.
Drink driving limits: the key facts
The current drink-driving laws can be summarised simply:
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland currently have an 80mg/100ml blood limit.
- Scotland currently has a lower 50mg/100ml blood limit.
- The equivalent breath limits are 35mg and 22mg respectively.
- There is no reliable number of drinks that guarantees you will be below the legal limit.
- Alcohol can impair your driving even when you are below the legal limit.
- You can still be over the limit the morning after drinking.
- A drink-driving conviction can result in a driving ban, unlimited fine and potentially imprisonment.
- A second drink-driving conviction within 10 years can result in a minimum three-year ban.
- Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink can result in life imprisonment.
- Proposed changes to drink-driving laws are being considered, but proposed limits should not be confused with the current law.
- If you're driving, the safest amount of alcohol is none.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Drink-driving laws can change, so always check the latest guidance from GOV.UK or the relevant authority before relying on this information.