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Australia

Blood Alcohol Calculator – Standard Drinks & 0.05% Limit 🇦🇺

Calculate your estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) instantly. Track standard drinks, view sobriety charts, and check your status against the 0.05% Australian legal limit.

0.05% BAC Legal limit

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Drink Driving in Australia — 0.05% BAC

Drink driving is state law in Australia, not federal, so the limit is set eight times over. The 0.05% general limit for full licence holders is common to every state and territory — it is the NSW low-range threshold (Road Transport Act 2013, s.108) and the Victorian prescribed concentration (Road Safety Act 1986, s.3(1)). Learner and provisional drivers are at zero: Victoria puts it as "any concentration of alcohol" (s.52(2)), and NSW prosecutes anything above zero as the novice range. Above that the states diverge — NSW graduates novice drivers into a 0.02% band and sets no limit for professional drivers, while Victoria requires zero of heavy-vehicle and bus drivers. Random Breath Testing is enforced everywhere.

Current BAC {{ liveBacNumber }}{{ liveBacUnit }}
Time until {{ impactLimitLabel }} {{ liveToLimit }}
Time until {{ zeroTargetLabel }} {{ liveToZero }}
End session?

ℹ️ Information

CONTEXT
🌎 Country
Show results in
ABOUT YOU
Sex
⚖️ Weight

lbs

⏱️ Start time of drinking (optional) Time of your first drink (not required)

🕒

⏳ Or: hours ago —
0h6h12h18h24h

🍹🍸🍺 Drinks

Drink {{ index+1 }}

{{ drinkSummary(drink) }}

%

≈ {{ servingHint(drink) }}

Maximum number of drinks reached.

The results will show up here...
📈 Results
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Legal limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Minimal Caution Impaired Intoxicated Dangerous
Above the legal limit. Close to the legal limit — this estimate could already be over. Below the legal limit.
Time until {{ impactLimitLabel }}: {{ legalLimitTimeLabel }}
Time until {{ zeroTargetLabel }}: {{ sobrietyDuration }}

Drink Driving in Australia

Full licence holders 0.05%
Learner & P-plate drivers 0.00%

Common Penalties in Australia

Offence type No offence Below the legal limit by this estimate – that does not mean driving is unaffected.
Offence type Over the 0.0 limit Zero-tolerance country — driving with any detectable alcohol is prohibited.
Offence type Over the legal limit You are over the legal limit and committing a drink-driving offence. Exact penalties depend on your BAC and local law.
Offence type Low-range drink driving (NSW) 0.05% – 0.079% BAC (low range) Drink-driving offence — fine, demerit points and licence disqualification.
Typical penalties
  • Maximum fine AUD 2,200 on a first offence (20 penalty units at $110), AUD 3,300 on a repeat — no imprisonment is available for this range
  • Automatic disqualification 6 months; a court may shorten it to 3 months, but no further
  • No vehicle impoundment for this range
Offence type Middle-range drink driving (NSW) 0.08% – 0.149% BAC (middle range) Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Maximum AUD 2,200 or 9 months imprisonment, or both, on a first offence; AUD 3,300 or 12 months on a repeat
  • Mandatory interlock order: 3–6 months disqualification, then at least 12 months on an interlock licence
  • Impoundment only if you were convicted of an alcohol-related major offence in the previous 5 years
Offence type High-range drink driving (NSW) 0.15%+ BAC (high range) Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Maximum AUD 3,300 or 18 months imprisonment, or both, on a first offence — AUD 5,500 or 2 years on a repeat
  • Mandatory interlock order: 6–9 months disqualification, then at least 24 months on an interlock licence (9–12 months and 48 months on a repeat)
  • Impoundment applies only where there is an alcohol-related major offence conviction in the previous 5 years
These are general penalties. Actual consequences may vary by local law and circumstances. Learn more →

Legal limit

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Based on AU law ·

Elimination rate

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Assumed average

Standard Drinks

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Approx. consumed

Pure Alcohol

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Pure alcohol consumed

Pure Alcohol (g)

{{ alcoholGrams }} g
Total ethanol consumed

Calories

{{ calories }} kcal
From alcohol only — mixers add more

Time over limit

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Estimated duration above the legal driving limit
{{ decayRateDisplay }}{{ unitSign }} / h
{{ getUnitValFromValue(0.10) }}{{ getUnitValFromValue(0.15) }}{{ getUnitValFromValue(0.20) }}
⏳ Time since first drink —
0h6h12h18h24h
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Legal limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Minimal Caution Impaired Intoxicated Dangerous
Above the legal limit. Close to the legal limit — this estimate could already be over. Below the legal limit.
Time until {{ impactLimitLabel }}: {{ legalLimitTimeLabel }}
Time until {{ zeroTargetLabel }}: {{ sobrietyDuration }}

Drink Driving in Australia

Full licence holders 0.05%
Learner & P-plate drivers 0.00%

Common Penalties in Australia

Offence type No offence Below the legal limit by this estimate – that does not mean driving is unaffected.
Offence type Over the 0.0 limit Zero-tolerance country — driving with any detectable alcohol is prohibited.
Offence type Over the legal limit You are over the legal limit and committing a drink-driving offence. Exact penalties depend on your BAC and local law.
Offence type Low-range drink driving (NSW) 0.05% – 0.079% BAC (low range) Drink-driving offence — fine, demerit points and licence disqualification.
Typical penalties
  • Maximum fine AUD 2,200 on a first offence (20 penalty units at $110), AUD 3,300 on a repeat — no imprisonment is available for this range
  • Automatic disqualification 6 months; a court may shorten it to 3 months, but no further
  • No vehicle impoundment for this range
Offence type Middle-range drink driving (NSW) 0.08% – 0.149% BAC (middle range) Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Maximum AUD 2,200 or 9 months imprisonment, or both, on a first offence; AUD 3,300 or 12 months on a repeat
  • Mandatory interlock order: 3–6 months disqualification, then at least 12 months on an interlock licence
  • Impoundment only if you were convicted of an alcohol-related major offence in the previous 5 years
Offence type High-range drink driving (NSW) 0.15%+ BAC (high range) Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Maximum AUD 3,300 or 18 months imprisonment, or both, on a first offence — AUD 5,500 or 2 years on a repeat
  • Mandatory interlock order: 6–9 months disqualification, then at least 24 months on an interlock licence (9–12 months and 48 months on a repeat)
  • Impoundment applies only where there is an alcohol-related major offence conviction in the previous 5 years
These are general penalties. Actual consequences may vary by local law and circumstances. Learn more →
{{ afterLabel }} {{ $t('unit.' + units) }} Status
{{ result.time }} {{ result.drunkenness }}
  • Below the legal limit.
  • Close to the legal limit — this estimate could already be over.
  • Above the legal limit.

This is general information, not legal advice, and the estimate is approximate. The only safe level before driving is zero.

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Sobriety Over Time

Your estimated BAC as your body clears the alcohol

Time until {{ zeroTargetLabel }} {{ sobrietyDuration }}
  • {{ lookaheadBacDisplay }}{{ unitSign }} Above the legal limit. Close to the legal limit — this estimate could already be over. Below the legal limit.
  • {{ $t('unit.' + units) }}
  • Legal limit ({{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }})
👮 Health impact and legal consequences
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Peak BAC: {{ peakBAC }}

💡 Tips: drink water, eat, and avoid driving until below the legal limit and ideally sober.

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Attention‼️ The results are only approximate, so make sure you are sober before driving.

About results
Current BAC

Your Current BAC is the estimated percentage of alcohol in your bloodstream right now — 0.05 % means 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. It is the same reading a Random Breath Test (RBT) at a booze bus records, and the figure every state and territory sets its drink-driving limits around.

Legal limit

Full licence holders may drive up to 0.05 % BAC. Learner (L) and provisional (P) drivers must be at 0.00 %, and the rule for heavy-vehicle and bus drivers is set state by state — Victoria requires zero of them, while New South Wales sets no separate professional limit. RBT is enforced everywhere, and high-range drink driving — 0.15 % and over — carries a mandatory interlock order, and in NSW a maximum of 18 months imprisonment on a first offence. Most drivers are impaired before they reach 0.05 %, so the safest reading before driving is 0.00 %.

Elimination rate

The average rate your liver metabolises alcohol — about 0.015 % BAC per hour, or roughly one standard drink an hour. It varies from person to person, and nothing speeds it up: a coffee, a feed or a cold shower change how you feel, not how fast your BAC actually drops. That is why a big night can leave you over 0.05 % the next morning.

Standard Drinks

An Australian standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. That is smaller than most pours: a 375 ml full-strength stubby holds about 1.4 standard drinks, a schooner of full-strength beer around 1.6, while a 100 ml glass of wine or a 30 ml nip of spirits is roughly one each. This total converts your drinks into standard drinks so you are not fooled by serving size.

Pure Alcohol

The pure alcohol (in grams) your body has absorbed so far — the raw figure your standard-drink count and BAC are both built from.

Time vs. Sobriety Table

The table projects how your BAC changes each hour — and when you enter a start time of drinking, it maps those estimates onto the actual time of day. Start at 8:00 pm and the column reads your projected BAC at 8:00 pm (Now), 9:00 pm (1h), 10:00 pm (2h) and on, so you can see the clock time you are likely to drop back under 0.05 %. Status icons flag whether each hour is safe to drive, making it easier to organise a lift or a rest before morning.

If you set a time for each drink, the table shows clock times only and adds a row for each drink, so you can see your BAC rise after a later drink and then fall again.

Sobriety Over Time Graph

A line chart of your estimated BAC declining over the hours ahead, so you can see at a glance when it falls below the legal limit and below a genuinely safe level.

How Alcohol Affects You

A reference table matching BAC ranges to their typical effects on your body and behaviour — from subtle changes in judgement and reaction time to serious impairment at higher levels.

Legal limit reached in / Sober in / Peak BAC

These summaries give the key estimates at a glance:

  • Legal limit reached in: the time until your BAC likely falls below the 0.05 % limit (or 0.00 % for L and P platers).

  • Sober in: total time until your BAC returns to ~0.000 %.

  • Peak BAC: the highest BAC value reached during the session.

Data used for calculations

Five factors that determine your result

Weight
Body weight determines how alcohol distributes in the body — more weight means a lower blood alcohol concentration.
Sex
Men and women metabolise alcohol at different rates because of differences in body water content.
Amount
The amount of pure alcohol consumed is the main factor that determines your BAC result.
Strength
A higher strength (%) means more ethanol in the same drink serving.
Time
The timing of your drinks shows how BAC changes hour by hour and when you'll be sober again.

How much does Australia drink?

Alcohol consumption per adult, per year

11.2L

litres of pure alcohol per adult (15+), per year

Per adult, that is roughly:

597 beers ≈ 11/week
622 glasses of wine ≈ 12/week
700 shots ≈ 13/week
11.2 L
0.1 L Ø 4.2 11.2 L

169% above the regional average

Ranks #1 of 25 in Western Pacific Ranks #15 of 188 in the World Average in Western Pacific: 4.2 L

How neighbours compare

#1 Australia 11.2L #1 Western Pacific
#2 New Zealand 9.2L #4 Western Pacific
#3 Japan 6.3L #7 Western Pacific
#4 Singapore 2.0L #15 Western Pacific
#5 Malaysia 0.8L #20 Western Pacific
#6 Indonesia 0.1L #25 Western Pacific

How safe are the roads in Australia?

Road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, per year

4.5 /100k

road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, 2021

~43% of road deaths linked to alcohol WHO estimate, 2019 · 30–56%
22 road deaths per week WHO estimate, 2021
10 alcohol-linked deaths per week WHO-derived estimate
4.5
0.0 Ø 10.8 22.2

59% fewer road deaths than the regional average

#5 safest of 28 in Western Pacific #24 safest of 195 worldwide Average in Western Pacific: 10.8 per 100k

How neighbours compare

#1 Singapore 1.9 #2 Western Pacific
#2 Japan 2.7 #3 Western Pacific
#3 Australia 4.5 #5 Western Pacific
#4 New Zealand 6.6 #8 Western Pacific
#5 Indonesia 11.3 #15 Western Pacific
#6 Malaysia 13.9 #19 Western Pacific

Latest available year shown per country.

LIMITS NEARBY

BAC limits in neighboring countries

Explore the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for drivers in nearby countries.

NZ

New Zealand

0.05%
Moderate
MY

Malaysia

0.05%
Moderate
SG

Singapore

0.08%
Relaxed
JP

Japan

0.03%
Strict

Drink Driving in Australia

Legal BAC limits for Australian drivers

Full licence holders
0.05%
Moderate
Learner & P-plate drivers
0.00%
Zero tolerance
Drink driving is state law in Australia, not federal, so the limit is set eight times over. The 0.05% general limit for full licence holders is common to every state and territory — it is the NSW low-range threshold (Road Transport Act 2013, s.108) and the Victorian prescribed concentration (Road Safety Act 1986, s.3(1)). Learner and provisional drivers are at zero: Victoria puts it as "any concentration of alcohol" (s.52(2)), and NSW prosecutes anything above zero as the novice range. Above that the states diverge — NSW graduates novice drivers into a 0.02% band and sets no limit for professional drivers, while Victoria requires zero of heavy-vehicle and bus drivers. Random Breath Testing is enforced everywhere.
Verified with official source
Legal limits checked against legislation.nsw.gov.au
Last verified: 2026-09-14
Open the register

Common Penalties in Australia

Consequences of exceeding the legal BAC limit

0.05% – 0.079% BAC (low range)
Low-range drink driving (NSW)
  • Maximum fine AUD 2,200 on a first offence (20 penalty units at $110), AUD 3,300 on a repeat — no imprisonment is available for this range
  • Automatic disqualification 6 months; a court may shorten it to 3 months, but no further
  • No vehicle impoundment for this range
0.08% – 0.149% BAC (middle range)
Middle-range drink driving (NSW)
  • Maximum AUD 2,200 or 9 months imprisonment, or both, on a first offence; AUD 3,300 or 12 months on a repeat
  • Mandatory interlock order: 3–6 months disqualification, then at least 12 months on an interlock licence
  • Impoundment only if you were convicted of an alcohol-related major offence in the previous 5 years
0.15%+ BAC (high range)
High-range drink driving (NSW)
  • Maximum AUD 3,300 or 18 months imprisonment, or both, on a first offence — AUD 5,500 or 2 years on a repeat
  • Mandatory interlock order: 6–9 months disqualification, then at least 24 months on an interlock licence (9–12 months and 48 months on a repeat)
  • Impoundment applies only where there is an alcohol-related major offence conviction in the previous 5 years

Tips for Responsible Drinking

Practical tips for safer drinking

Pace yourself
Stick to the "one drink per hour" rule – your liver needs time to process alcohol.
Eat before and while drinking
A solid meal slows alcohol absorption – an empty stomach raises BAC faster.
Drink water
After each alcoholic drink, have a glass of water – it reduces dehydration and health risks.
Don't drive
Even small amounts of alcohol impair reaction time. If in doubt, call a taxi or stay overnight.

Source: Australian Government Department of Health.

Official sources & references

The limits and penalties on this page come from official government sources

Confirm the current rules directly with the responsible authorities:

Laws change — always check the latest limits and penalties with the official source before driving.

How we calculate your BAC

The exact formula, step by step

Your result is not a guess. It comes from the Widmark equation, the same formula forensic toxicologists use in court. Here it is, worked through with an example.

BAC = A ÷ (r × W) − (β × t)

where A = grams of pure alcohol, r = body-water factor (0.68 for men, 0.55 for women), W = weight in kg, β = elimination rate (~0.15 g/L per hour), and t = hours since your first drink. If you set a time for each drink, the calculator adds each one at the moment you had it and removes β per hour from the running total (never below zero), so a later drink can raise the level again. Each drink is counted as fully absorbed the moment you have it. In reality the level keeps rising for roughly 30–90 minutes after a drink, so the peak shown is usually higher than the real one and early readings are deliberately on the high side.

  1. Pure alcohol (A). Three 500 ml beers at 5% ABV hold 3 × 500 × 0.05 × 0.789 ≈ 59 g of pure alcohol.
  2. Body water (r × W). For an 80 kg man: 0.68 × 80 = 54.4.
  3. Peak level. A ÷ (r × W) = 59 ÷ 54.4 ≈ 1.09 g/L — the same as 1.09‰ or about 0.11% BAC.
  4. Subtract elimination. After 2 hours: 1.09 − (0.15 × 2) = 0.79 g/L.

The calculator runs this same equation on your own weight, sex, drinks and timing — the numbers above are only a worked example. Method based on E. M. P. Widmark (1932); results are an estimate, not a legal measurement.

What people actually log

SmartBAC has run over 17,000 calculations in recent weeks. Of every drink people log, beer is the most common by far — about 6 in 10 — ahead of spirits and then wine.

Anonymous, aggregated first-party usage data from SmartBAC, July–August 2026.

FAQ

How long does alcohol stay in your system?

As a rough guide, your body clears alcohol at about 0.015% BAC per hour, and this pace cannot be hurried. That means a heavy session takes a long time to clear: if you go to sleep with a BAC around 0.15%, it can take 10 hours or more to return to zero. This is exactly why so many drivers are caught "the morning after", still over the limit on the drive to work.

How long alcohol stays detectable also depends on the test. In breath and blood it tracks your current BAC and fades over hours; in urine, specialised EtG tests can pick up alcohol for a day or more; and hair testing can indicate use over months. For driving, the figure that matters is your current BAC — and the only safe number before getting behind the wheel is 0.00%. Use the calculator to estimate your own time to zero.

How can I lower my BAC?

The honest answer is that you cannot actively lower your BAC — only time does that. Once alcohol is in your bloodstream, the liver removes it at a steady rate of roughly 0.015% per hour, and no trick changes that pace. Vomiting may clear alcohol that is still in your stomach and not yet absorbed, but it does nothing about the alcohol already in your blood. Water helps with dehydration and hangover symptoms, but it does not "flush" or dilute alcohol out of your system any faster.

Coffee, cold showers, energy drinks, fresh air and exercise are all in the same category — they may make you feel sharper, but your BAC is unchanged, which makes them genuinely dangerous if they convince you that you are fit to drive. There is no shortcut. If your BAC is up, the only safe plan is to wait it out and not drive until enough time has passed.

How accurate are breathalyzers?

No breathalyzer is perfectly precise — every device has a margin of error. Police are aware of this: roadside units are used as a screening tool, and any positive result is confirmed with a more accurate evidentiary test on a calibrated instrument at a station, which is what carries weight as evidence.

Personal breathalyzers vary enormously in quality. A certified device built to the Australian Standard can give a reasonable indication, but a cheap keychain tester can be wildly inaccurate and should never be used to decide whether you are fit to drive. Readings also drift if a device is not regularly calibrated, or if you test too soon after a drink, when mouth alcohol can inflate the result. Treat any personal device as a rough guide only — if a reading is anywhere near the limit, the safe choice is not to drive.

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