Irish Drink Driving Limits 2025: What You Need to Know

Meta Title: Irish Drink Driving Limits 2025 – What You Need to Know Before You Drive

You’re Probably Asking the Wrong Question

If you're searching “how much can I drink and drive in Ireland?”, you’re not alone. But here's the uncomfortable truth: even one drink can put you over the limit, depending on your age, licence type, weight, gender, what you’ve eaten, and how fast you drink.

And under Irish law, the limit is just 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood for most drivers—an extremely low threshold that catches out thousands every year.

"The median breath alcohol concentration (BrAC)

for positive tests was 153 micrograms per 100ml of breath—

nearly seven times the limit for a professional driver

and three times the limit for a fully licensed one"

The Legal Limits in Ireland (2025)

According to Irish law, the drink driving limits vary depending on your driver category:

Ordinary Drivers: 50 mg/100ml (Blood), 22 µg/100ml (Breath), 67 mg/100ml (Urine)

Professional / Learner / Novice Drivers: 20 mg/100ml (Blood), 9 µg/100ml (Breath), 27 mg/100ml (Urine)

Note: A professional driver includes bus, truck, taxi, and public service vehicle drivers.

A novice driver is someone within 2 years of getting their first full licence.

Real-World Test Results: What MBRS Data Reveals

The Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) tested 6,584 breath specimens in 2023.

The median breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) for positive tests was 153 micrograms per 100ml of breath—nearly seven times the limit for a professional driver and three times the limit for a fully licensed one.

This suggests overconfidence, misinformation, and cultural blind spots continue to play a major role in drink driving cases.

Why 57% of Specimens Show Zero Alcohol

57% of all specimens tested by the MBRS in 2023 contained zero alcohol. This reflects routine Gardaí enforcement, not leniency. Drivers are tested after collisions or during some checkpoints even if alcohol isn’t suspected.

Common Drinks and Legal Risk: How Much Is Too Much?

Typical drinks and risk levels:

Pint of lager (~2 units): High risk for full licence holder, immediate disqualification risk for novices/professionals

Glass of wine (~1.5 units): Moderate to high risk

Single whiskey (1 unit): Possibly under for full licence holder, likely over for novice/professional

Even one drink can exceed the limit.

Use DrinkAware’s calculator, (www.drinkaware.ie) but remember—no estimate is legally reliable.

Regional Enforcement: Not Just a Rural Issue

Dublin had the highest number of positive drink driving cases in 2023 with 1,258 samples submitted. Galway and Limerick followed.

Urban enforcement is increasingly aggressive.

Blood Alcohol Calculator? Use Caution

Online BAC calculators are estimates. Courts do not accept them as a defence.

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Final Thought

The MBRS 2023 data shows most drivers caught are well over the limit.

But even one drink can catch people out. If you're asking how much you can drink and still drive, you’re playing a dangerous game.

After all, it’s the choice between going off the road or driving home.

And everybody wants to drive home.