What is the drink driving limit in Australia?
Short answer
0.05 blood alcohol concentration for full licence holders, in every state and territory. Learner, provisional and probationary drivers must be at zero, as must professional drivers of heavy vehicles, taxis, rideshare and buses. Random breath testing is routine and lawful.
Verified · 4 cited sources
The 0.05 general limit is consistent across Australia, which is unusual for a road rule given that road law is otherwise a state matter. It is lower than the limit in several other countries, and enforcement is more intensive than most visitors expect.
Zero applies to a substantial group: anyone on a learner, provisional or probationary licence regardless of age; drivers of heavy vehicles, public passenger vehicles, taxis and rideshare; driving instructors while instructing; and drivers carrying dangerous goods.
Random breath testing is lawful and routine. Police can stop any vehicle and require a breath test without needing to suspect an offence, and this is done at fixed checkpoints and by mobile units at all hours. Refusing a test is itself an offence, generally penalised as severely as a high-range reading.
Roadside drug testing operates on the same basis, screening for THC, methylamphetamine and MDMA. Unlike alcohol, there is no threshold — any detectable presence is an offence, and detection windows for cannabis in particular can extend well beyond the period of impairment.
Penalties escalate by reading and by repeat offence, and include fines, licence disqualification, mandatory interlock devices and, at higher ranges or on repeat, imprisonment. Penalties are set by each state, so the specific consequence depends on where you are stopped.
- 0.05 for full licence holders, nationwide
- Zero for learner, provisional and probationary drivers
- Zero for heavy vehicle, bus, taxi and rideshare drivers
- Random breath testing needs no suspicion; refusing is an offence
- Roadside drug testing has no threshold — any detectable presence is an offence
People also ask
Sources & provenance
Facts verified
- 1.Drink driving OfficialAustralian Government — Road SafetyUsed for: 0.05 general limit and zero limits for restricted classes
- 2.Drink driving offences and penalties OfficialTransport for NSWUsed for: Random breath testing, offence ranges and penalties
- 3.Drug driving OfficialVicRoadsUsed for: Roadside drug testing and the absence of a threshold
- 4.National Road Safety Strategy OfficialAustralian GovernmentUsed for: National framework and consistency of the alcohol limit
Limits, testing powers and offence categories come from the national road safety and state road authority sources cited. Penalties, disqualification periods and interlock requirements are set by each state and differ substantially — check the authority for the jurisdiction you are in. The observation about cannabis detection windows extending beyond impairment is a widely reported feature of the testing regime rather than a claim made in the sources cited.
Facts on this page are taken from the sources listed above — Australian government departments, regulators, statutory bodies and official statistical releases. Comparisons, judgements and "which option suits whom" conclusions are AI-assisted analysis written over those sources; they are marked in the text and listed as an AI-analysis entry in the sources, not attributed to any authority. Rates, thresholds, fees and processing times change, often at the start of a financial year; figures are current as at the review date shown and should be confirmed with the responsible agency before you rely on them for money or legal decisions.