En bref
- On an open (full) licence you must stay below 0.05 blood or breath alcohol concentration (BAC).[1]
- Learner, P1, P2, probationary and restricted licence holders must be at zero, whatever their age, and so must anyone driving a truck, a bus, a taxi or another public passenger vehicle.[1]
- Your BAC keeps climbing for 30 to 60 minutes after you stop drinking, so a reading taken on the way home can be higher than you'd expect.[1]
- Over the limit means a licence suspension of at least 24 hours on the spot, and from 0.10 the licence is suspended until court. At the time of writing (November 2026), a first offence at 0.15 or more carries a disqualification of at least 6 months and a fine of up to $6,908.[2]
What is the drink-driving limit in Queensland?
Queensland measures four levels of blood or breath alcohol. Which one is "your" limit depends on the licence you hold and the vehicle you're driving, and the higher bands decide how serious the offence is:[1]
| Limit | Exceeded at | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| No alcohol[1] | Any BAC above zero | Learner, P1/P2, probationary and restricted licences; heavy, passenger and some special vehicles; interlock drivers |
| General[1] | 0.05 or more | Open licence holders |
| Middle[1] | 0.10 or more | The mid-range offence band |
| High[1] | 0.15 or more | The high-range offence band |
BAC is grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, so 0.05 means 50 milligrams in every 100 millilitres.[1] Visitors driving on an overseas licence should check which Queensland licence type theirs is treated as: a provisional licence from home puts you on the zero limit here, as explained in renting a car under 25.
Who has to be at zero?
The no-alcohol limit covers more drivers than people assume:[1]
- everyone on a learner, P1, P2 provisional, probationary or restricted licence, regardless of age[1]
- open licence holders while they're learning to drive a higher licence class[1]
- motorcycle riders in their first 12 months on a class RE licence[1]
- anyone with an alcohol interlock condition (code I) on their licence[1]
- anyone driving a truck over 4.5 tonnes, a bus built for more than 12 adults, an articulated vehicle, a vehicle carrying a placarded dangerous goods load, a taxi, limousine or other public passenger vehicle, a tow truck or pilot vehicle, or a driver-training vehicle.[1]
Supervising a learner counts too. Legal Aid Queensland points out that an open licence holder sitting beside a learner is treated as being in charge of the vehicle and must be under the general limit.[3]
How many drinks can you have and still drive?
There's no number the Queensland Government will give you. Your BAC starts rising as soon as you begin drinking and peaks 30 to 60 minutes after you stop. How high it goes depends on how much and how fast you drank, your weight, when you last ate, your fitness, liver health, how often you drink, your mood, your sex and the type of drink.[1]
That's why counting drinks is unreliable, and why the 30–60 minute climb catches people: you can leave a venue feeling fine and be over the limit by the time you're on the road. The next morning is a risk too, because the alcohol from a late night may not have cleared.
What happens at a roadside breath test?
Police don't need to suspect you've been drinking before they ask for a breath or blood specimen; random tests are lawful.[3] Refusing a breath or blood test within 3 hours of driving, or of being in charge of a vehicle, is itself an offence, and so is refusing to give police your name and address.[3]
You don't have to be seen driving. Legal Aid Queensland warns that simply being in the vehicle over the limit risks a charge, that it's illegal to sleep in the front seats, and that even in the back seat you may have to prove you didn't intend to drive.[3] If you've had too much, sleeping it off in the car isn't a safe plan.
| Situation | Immediate effect |
|---|---|
| Over your limit, BAC under 0.10[2] | Licence suspended for at least 24 hours from when the reading is confirmed |
| Charged with a mid-range or high-range offence (0.10 and over)[2] | Licence suspended until the charge is dealt with by the court, withdrawn or discontinued |
| Low-range charge while an earlier drink-driving charge is pending[2] | Licence suspended until court |
| Failing to provide a breath or blood specimen[2] | Licence suspended until court |
What are the penalties for a first offence?
A court decides the penalty, within the ranges below. Fines and penalties rose 3.5% on 1 July 2026 under the government's indexation policy; these are the first-offence figures at the time of writing (November 2026):[2]
| BAC | Disqualification | Maximum fine | Maximum jail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over zero, under 0.05 (learner, provisional, probationary)[2] | 3 to 9 months | $3,454 | 3 months |
| Over zero, under 0.05 (drivers of particular vehicles)[2] | 1 to 9 months | $3,454 | 3 months |
| 0.05 to under 0.10[2] | 2 to 9 months | $3,454 | 3 months |
| 0.10 to under 0.15[2] | 3 to 12 months | $4,835 | 6 months |
| 0.15 and over[2] | At least 6 months | $6,908 | 9 months |
A repeat offence can mean the car is impounded (at 0.15 or more, or after refusing a specimen), disqualification of up to two years, a fine of up to $12,434 and a jail term set by the court.[2] Getting a licence back after disqualification means holding a probationary licence for at least a year, possibly a drink-driving course, and, after a high-risk offence, an alcohol ignition interlock.[2] Legal Aid Queensland adds that a work licence after a reading of 0.10 or more comes with the interlock program from the start, and that it offers general information on 1300 65 11 88.[3]
Drink-driving in a rental car
On top of the criminal penalties, drink-driving changes what you owe the rental company. Our rental terms (clause 7.2) prohibit driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or above the legal limit. Under clause 9.3, the excess limit doesn't apply to loss or damage while driving under the influence: you're liable for the full loss, including anything the insurer refuses to pay.
A licence suspended at the roadside also means you can't drive the car back. Under clause 2 of the terms, only the drivers it allows may drive the car, so call us before anyone else moves it. If something does go wrong on the road, the steps are in had an accident in a rental car.
Planning a night out in town? Riverfire and stadium events are good nights to leave the car at home. The other camera-enforced rules, for phones and seatbelts, are in mobile phone and seatbelt cameras.
Sources
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au): Alcohol limits (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au): Drink driving - motor vehicles (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
- Legal Aid Queensland: Drink driving offences (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
- Translink (Queensland Government): 50 cent fares (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
Rédigé par Équipe Rentzy (Rentzy Car Rentals). Les prix, frais et règles Rentzy de ce guide proviennent de nos conditions publiées et sont mis à jour avec elles ; les règles fixées par d'autres (routes, péages, permis, transports) proviennent des pages officielles ci-dessus, telles que consultées aux dates indiquées. Une information n'est plus à jour ? Signalez-le-nous.
