US

Blood Alcohol Calculator – BAC Level Over Time 🇺🇸

Calculate your estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) instantly. Track standard drinks, view sobriety charts, and check your status against the 0.08% US legal limit.

0.08% BAC Legal limit

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ℹ️ Information

CONTEXT
🌎 Country
Show results in
🏛️ State
  • All states (federal 0.08%)
  • California
  • Texas
  • Florida
  • New York
  • Utah
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}} 🍷

%

Maximum number of drinks reached.

The results will show up here...
📈 Results
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Measured for Now · Legal limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Status:
Above the legal limit – do not drive. Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended. Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
{{ legalLimitTimeLabel }}

Legal limit

{{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Based on US law ·

Elimination rate

{{ decayRateDisplay }}{{ unitSign }} / h
Assumed average

Standard Drinks

{{ standardDrinks }}🍺
Approx. consumed

Pure Alcohol

{{ results.length > 0 ? results[0].pureAlcoholMl : '0' }} {{ qunits }}
Pure alcohol consumed

Pure Alcohol (g)

{{ alcoholGrams }} g
Total ethanol consumed

Calories

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

Time over limit

{{ timeOverLimit || '0m' }}
Estimated duration above the legal driving limit
For your own safety, we recommend using a rate no higher than the average.
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Measured for Now · Legal limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Status:
Above the legal limit – do not drive. Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended. Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
{{ legalLimitTimeLabel }}
{{ afterLabel }} {{ $t('unit.' + units) }} Status
{{ result.time }} {{ result.drunkenness }}
  • Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
  • Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended.
  • Above the legal limit – do not drive.
Create a pop-up notification
📉 Sobriety Over Time
👮 Health impact and legal consequences
{{ item.title }}
{{ legalLimitTimeLabel }} Sober in: {{ sobrietyTime }} 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 shows your estimated blood alcohol concentration right now as a percentage. This number reflects how much alcohol is in your bloodstream and is used to assess impairment.

Legal limit

In the United States and Canada, the standard legal driving limit for fully licensed adults is 0.08 % BAC. Exceeding this can result in DUI/DWI penalties, including fines and license actions.

Elimination rate

This shows the assumed average rate your body metabolizes alcohol — typically ~0.015 % BAC per hour. It’s an estimate of how fast your BAC decreases over time.

Standard Drinks

The number of Standard Drinks represents the approximate number of typical servings you’ve consumed (e.g., one beer, glass of wine, or shot), based on local standards for drink size.

Pure Alcohol

This is the amount of pure alcohol (in ounces) your body has absorbed so far, giving you a measure of total alcohol consumed.

Time vs. Sobriety Table

The table lists how your BAC is expected to change with each hour passed — and when a Start time of drinking is provided, it aligns these estimates with the exact time of day you began drinking. For example, if you started at 6:00 PM, the column will show your projected BAC at 6:00 PM (Now), 7:00 PM (1h), 8:00 PM (2h), etc., so you can clearly see when your BAC is likely to cross legal and safer thresholds as the day progresses. Icons or status indicators show whether the level is safe for driving at those specific clock times, making it easier to plan your departure or rest period.

Sobriety Over Time Graph

A visual line chart plotting your estimated BAC decline over hours. It helps you see when your BAC drops below legal and safer levels.

How Alcohol Affects You

This reference table shows ranges of BAC and typical effects on your body and behaviour — from mild alertness changes to significant impairment at higher levels.

Legal limit reached in / Sober in / Peak BAC

These summaries give quick key estimates:

  • Legal limit reached in: the time until your BAC likely falls below the legal driving limit.

  • Sober in: total time until BAC reaches ~0.000 %.

  • Peak BAC: the highest BAC value recorded in 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 metabolize 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 time of your first drink shows how BAC changes hour by hour and when you'll be sober again.

How much does United States drink?

Alcohol consumption per adult, per year

9.8L

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

Per adult, that is roughly:

552 beers ≈ 11/week
544 glasses of wine ≈ 10/week
613 shots ≈ 12/week
9.8 L
1.7 L Ø 6.0 11.4 L

62% above the regional average

Ranks #3 of 35 in the Americas Ranks #33 of 188 in the World Average in the Americas: 6.0 L

How neighbours compare

#1 Canada 10.0L #2 the Americas
#2 United States 9.8L #3 the Americas
#3 Bahamas 6.9L #12 the Americas
#4 Mexico 6.0L #18 the Americas
#5 Cuba 5.6L #20 the Americas
LIMITS NEARBY

BAC limits in neighboring countries

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

CA

Canada

0.08%
Relaxed
MX

Mexico

0.08%
Relaxed
CU

Cuba

0.05%
Moderate
BS

Bahamas

0.08%
Relaxed

Drunk driving in the United States

Legal BAC limits for drivers in the United States

Drivers 21 and over
0.08%
Relaxed
Commercial drivers (CDL)
0.04%
Strict
Drivers under 21
0.00–0.02%
Zero tolerance
The 0.08% per se limit applies in every state except Utah (0.05%). Commercial driver license holders are limited to 0.04% while operating a commercial vehicle. Under-21 drivers are subject to state Zero Tolerance laws — most set 0.00% or 0.02%.

Common Penalties in the United States

Consequences of exceeding the legal BAC limit

0.08% – 0.14% BAC
  • Per se DUI — fine $500–$2,000+ (first offense)
  • License suspension 90 days – 1 year
  • Up to 6 months jail; ignition interlock common
0.15%+ BAC
  • High BAC / aggravated DUI — enhanced fines, often $1,000–$2,500+
  • Multi-year suspension possible
  • Felony exposure with priors or injury

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: World Health Organization (WHO).

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