New Jersey Legal Alcohol Limit


The current blood alcohol concentration limit for driving under the influence of alcohol in New Jersey is 0.08% BAC. This equates to 0.08 grams of ethanolic alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in your system. If you are caught driving in New Jersey with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher, you may be convicted of impaired driving. This standard applies to drivers who are legally allowed to drink alcohol; Currently 21 years of age and older. Drivers under the age of 21 caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01% to 0.07% face penalties of 30 to 90 days of licence revocation and 15 to 30 days of mandatory community service, participation in an IDRC course, and a road safety program. If the person is under 17 years of age at the time of sentencing, their licence will be suspended after their 17th birthday. Persons under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher are subject to the standard impaired driving penalties described above. In New Jersey, people under the age of 21 who possess alcohol risk losing their driver`s license after a conviction or guilty plea for six months. What is the legal limit for alcohol in New Jersey? If you are suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in New Jersey, you will be stopped on the street and arrested. In most cases, during your traffic check, the arresting officer will first guide you through a series of field sobriety tests before taking you to the police station for a breath test. Persons charged with drunk driving must perform a breathalyzer test by blowing into a Dräger Alcotest® 7110 used to measure blood alcohol levels.

However, there may be exceptions, for example, if you were suspected of having DWI in an accident requiring medical attention, your blood alcohol level (BAC) will be determined by administering a breath test or blood test in the hospital. While it`s still possible to get a DWI fee with minimal amounts of alcohol in your system, it`s important to know the blood alcohol limits under New Jersey law. Under this Act, a person aggrieved by the negligent supply of alcohol by a social host to a person 21 years of age or older may seek redress from the social host only if the social host intentionally and knowingly provided alcohol to a visibly drunk person in circumstances that created an unreasonable risk of foreseeable harm to the lives of others; the social host has not exercised due diligence to avoid this risk; and the injury was caused by a car accident caused by the visibly drunk person. Under this law, if the intoxicated person underwent a blood alcohol test, the social host can be held liable if the person`s blood alcohol level was 0.10% or higher. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol changes a person`s blood alcohol level and can impair the senses, shorten reaction time and impair judgment. While New Jersey law sets a blood alcohol threshold of 0.08%, suggesting that judgment and senses have been negatively affected in themselves, impairment can occur well below this blood alcohol level. Even if you have a blood alcohol level below 0.08% and your impaired driving while operating a motor vehicle, you can be arrested and charged with impaired driving in New Jersey. New Jersey is a zero-tolerance state when it comes to driving under the influence. Zero tolerance means exactly what the phrase implies – there is no tolerance for underage drinking and driving.

If a chemical test determines that there is a certain blood alcohol level, the person may be cited for impaired driving. For people under 21 (the legal drinking age), the blood alcohol level is 0.01%. If you are 21+, the blood alcohol level is 0.08%. Penalties for those convicted of alcohol consumption and underage driving may differ from penalties for those who are 21+ and have been convicted of drunk driving. Police officers are trained to conduct field sobriety tests to drivers they suspect of driving under the influence of alcohol. These tests include a variety of tasks and those typically used by New Jersey police officers include: If you or someone you love has been arrested for impaired driving under the limit, contact our dedicated team of DWI defense attorneys today at (908) 336-5008 for a free consultation. We have been defending clients charged with impaired driving in Dover, Denville, Chatham, Washington Township, Morris Plains and other cities in Morris County for years. Let us use our knowledge and experience to combat your DWI case. If an officer dresses you because they suspect you are driving under the influence of alcohol, they may ask you to take a breathalyzer test. This test can identify the level of alcohol in your blood.

First, the state can prove a violation per se. If the state can successfully introduce blood alcohol testing at the time of your driving, and if your blood alcohol level is above a blood alcohol level of 0.08%, you will be convicted of impaired driving. Therefore, it is important to present the best possible defense by asking your lawyer to investigate how the breathalyzer or breathalyzer used in your case works. In New Jersey, it is illegal for anyone over the age of 21 to drive with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08%.