2025-01-20 · 8 min read
Legal BAC Limits by State: A Complete 2025 Guide
Understanding legal BAC limits helps frame the risk of driving after drinking. In most of the United States, the standard limit for adult drivers is 0.08%, with stricter rules for Utah, commercial drivers, and people under 21.
The Federal Standard: 0.08%
All states now use 0.08% as the general limit for drivers 21 and over, except Utah, which lowered its limit to 0.05% in 2019.
Selected State Limits
| State | Standard (21+) | CDL Drivers | Under 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% |
| Alaska | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| Arizona | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| California | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
| Colorado | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% |
| Florida | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% |
| Georgia | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% |
| Illinois | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| New York | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% |
| Texas | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| Utah | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| Washington | 0.08% | 0.04% | 0.02% |
Zero Tolerance for Under 21
Under-21 limits are commonly 0.00% to 0.02%, which means a single drink can create legal risk even when an adult driver might still be under the general 0.08% threshold.
Commercial Driver Limits
CDL drivers are held to a stricter 0.04% standard in every state, reflecting the increased safety requirements for commercial vehicles.