Blood Alcohol Concentration Estimator
For adults of legal drinking age (21 and older in the United States). Enter what was drunk, when, and your weight to see a rough estimate of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), what each level does to a person, and how a legal limit compares.
Figures last reviewed: October 27, 2026 - Sources
Your Estimate
Estimated BAC: 0.023 to 0.036 g/dL
Choose a place and driver type, or enter your own limit, to see a legal limit beside the estimate.
By this estimate, the level reaches zero in about 1.5 to 2.4 hours.
Choose a place to add its limit to the scale.
An estimate from average values. It cannot tell you that you are safe to drive.
Effects at Each BAC Level
Typical effects at each blood alcohol level, from the source listed below. Each row runs up to the next. The row that holds the estimate is marked.
| BAC (g/dL) | Typical Effects | Effects on Driving |
|---|---|---|
| 0.02 to under 0.05 Holds the estimate | Some loss of judgment; relaxation, slight body warmth, altered mood | Decline in visual functions (rapid tracking of a moving target), decline in ability to perform two tasks at the same time (divided attention) |
| 0.05 to under 0.08 Holds the estimate | Exaggerated behavior, may have loss of small-muscle control (e.g., focusing your eyes), impaired judgment, usually good feeling, lowered alertness, release of inhibition | Reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering, reduced response to emergency driving situations |
| 0.08 to under 0.10 Holds the estimate | Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing), harder to detect danger; judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired | Concentration, short-term memory loss, speed control, reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search), impaired perception |
| 0.10 to under 0.15 Holds the estimate | Clear deterioration of reaction time and control, slurred speech, poor coordination, and slowed thinking | Reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately |
| 0.15 and above Holds the estimate | Far less muscle control than normal, vomiting may occur (unless this level is reached slowly or a person has developed a tolerance for alcohol), major loss of balance | Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and in necessary visual and auditory information processing |
How the Estimate Works
The alcohol in the drinks (volume, strength and the density of alcohol) is spread through the body's water, then the average rate the body clears alcohol is taken off for the hours since the first drink. People differ widely, so a real reading can be higher or lower. The figures used, with their sources:
- US standard drink: 14 g of pure alcohol
- US standard drink, volume of pure alcohol: 0.6 US fl oz
- Typical elimination rate after the peak: 0.015 g/dL per hour
- Density of ethanol (specific gravity): 0.79 g/mL
- Millilitres in one US fluid ounce: 29.57353 mL
- Kilograms in one pound: 0.4535924 kg
- Body water ratio, male: 0.68 L/kg
- Body water ratio, female: 0.55 L/kg
Sources
- Source: niaaa.nih.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: chp.ca.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: cdc.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: nist.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: wsp.wa.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: nhtsa.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: govinfo.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: ecfr.gov · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: alberta.ca · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: inf.gov.nt.ca · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: yukon.ca · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: mpi.mb.ca · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: althingi.is · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: lovdata.no · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: riksdagen.se · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
- Source: finlex.fi · Verified October 26, 2026 (ManTripping: Men's Travel & Lifestyle staff)
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