How much alcohol may you drink before driving? Blood alcohol and medicines

How much alcohol can you drink and drive in the Netherlands?

The safest answer: nothing. The law allows a small amount, but that limit is not advice to drink up to it.

Alcohol makes your reaction time longer. You see less, you judge speed and distance worse and your stopping distance gets longer. This happens before you feel drunk. That is why not drinking when you drive is the best choice.

What is the legal alcohol limit for driving in the Netherlands?

It depends on how long you have had your licence. Per mille is how much alcohol is in your blood. The police use a breath test. That result is in micrograms per litre of breath (µg/l).

One glass is a standard drink with about 10 grams of alcohol. For beer that is a vaasje of 250 ml. A fluitje of about 200 ml is a bit less (about 0.8 of a glass). A half litre counts as 2 glasses. The number of glasses is an estimate: you may reach the limit sooner. Sources: Dutch government, alcohol rules (2026) and Trimbos Institute, standard drink (2026).

What is the alcohol limit for a novice driver?

A novice driver may have at most 0.2 per mille. You are usually a novice for 5 years. If you had an AM or T licence before you turned 18, it can be 7 years. See how long you are a novice driver.

What is the alcohol limit for an experienced driver?

After your novice period you may have at most 0.5 per mille. Note: if you have also used drugs, the alcohol limit is 0.2 per mille, even if you are experienced. Source: Road Traffic Act 1994, article 8.

How much per mille is one beer?

That is different for everyone. It depends on your weight, whether you have eaten, whether you are a man or a woman and how fast you drink. For a novice, one beer can already be too much.

So there is no fixed number of glasses for 0.2 or 0.5 per mille. The Dutch government counts on less than 1 glass for 0.2 per mille and about 2 glasses for 0.5 per mille. A table or app only gives an estimate, not certainty.

A standard glass of beer, wine or Dutch gin holds about the same amount of alcohol, because the glasses have different sizes. Watch the size of your beer: a fluitje (about 200 ml) is a bit less than a standard drink, a vaasje (250 ml) is one standard drink and a half litre counts as two. A strong special beer or a glass you pour yourself often holds even more.

When can you drive again after drinking alcohol?

Count on about 1.5 hours per glass. After three glasses that is about 4.5 hours. This is a rule of thumb: for you it may take longer.

Coffee, water, fresh air or a cold shower do not help. Your body does not break down alcohol faster. After a night of drinking you may still have alcohol in your blood the next morning. In doubt whether you may drive? Leave the car.

Which medicines should you not drive with?

Do not drive with medicines that make you drowsy or slow. Examples are some sleeping pills, sedatives, painkillers and antidepressants.

A yellow sticker on the box warns that the medicine can slow your reactions. Read the leaflet. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you may drive and how long you must wait. Do not drive when you feel drowsy. Coffee does not help.

Drugs also make you a worse driver. Driving under the influence is a criminal offence. Never combine alcohol with drugs or with such medicines: together the effect is much stronger. See also reaction time and stopping distance.

What happens if you drive over the alcohol limit?

If you are over the limit, or cannot drive safely, you can get four measures. They differ in who decides, how long they last and what you may still drive afterwards. A criminal case and a CBR measure can run at the same time.

Driving ban: the police, up to 24 hours

Are you unfit to drive because of alcohol, drugs or medicines? Then the police can give you a driving ban of up to 24 hours. You may then drive or ride nothing, not even a bicycle or e-bike.

Confiscation: the police take your licence

This can happen with far too much alcohol, if you refuse an ordered breath test, or if you drive a car 50 km/h or more over the limit. The public prosecutor decides within 10 days whether you get your licence back. Until then you may not drive a car, motorcycle or moped. Source: OM: licence withheld.

Disqualification: a punishment from the court

The court can forbid you to drive. For alcohol or drugs that is at most 5 years, for a repeat offence at most 10 years. The Public Prosecution Service can itself disqualify you for up to 6 months. During that time you may not drive any motor vehicle, not even during a driving lesson.

Invalidation: a CBR decision

Do you skip a compulsory course, not cooperate or not pay? Or does an assessment show that you are not fit to drive? Then the CBR can declare your licence invalid. You may only drive again once you have a new licence. Sometimes you first need a course, assessment or new exam.

What may you still ride?

A speed pedelec, light moped, moped or brommobiel falls under licence AM. So you may not use one while your licence is taken. See the vehicle types.

CBR courses and assessments

On top of a fine or punishment, the CBR can give you a compulsory course or an assessment. This is the usual split for a first offence:

Do you not attend or not pay? Then the CBR declares your licence invalid. The course comes on top of the fine or punishment from the prosecutor or court.