New Jersey's Legal BAC Limit

Know your limit: The Legal BAC in New Jersey

Whenever you plan on participating in public drinking, it’s important to know the laws of the state you are in so that you can ensure that you will be safe and legal.

As a resident of the state of New Jersey, if you receive an alcohol-related traffic violation, you will be required to complete an Intoxicated Driving Program (IDP), even you are convicted of the offense in another state.

Blood Alcohol Concentration, also known as BAC, is what often is calculated when authorities make a decision about whether you are intoxicated or not. Police officers will perform field sobriety tests for coordination, but the BAC is the ultimate determiner of whether a person is driving drunk.

The .08 rule

In New Jersey, a BAC of .08 is considered the legal limit. This means that if you are driving and get pulled over, if your BAC is .08 or greater, you can and will be charged with drunken driving. Generally, officers will pull you over if you are showing signs of intoxication, which can be observed as hazardous driving as a result of the impairing effects of alcohol.

If you know that you are above the legal limit and choose to drive, there can be serious repercussions if you are convicted. Along with hefty fines, those convicted of drunken driving sometimes have to perform a number of hours of community service, lose their driving privileges, receive a much higher insurance rate, and sometimes serve jail time.

Driving with a high BAC only heightens the consequences. For those who are convicted of drunk driving with a BAC of .10 or greater, the fines increase, as do the length of time that the driver’s license is suspended. Depending on the severity of the cases as well as the judge’s discretion, an offender might be required to install an ignition interlock, which would then regulate their BAC in order to ensure that no alcohol was detected before driving.

Some have found it helpful to become more observant of what and how much they are drinking, and gauging how they feel afterward. Doing this could help prevent you from getting behind the wheel if you know you’ve had too much, or just don’t feel comfortable driving.

Underage drinking and driving

New Jersey has zero tolerance law for teen drinking and driving. If someone is under 21 years old and is pulled over and found with any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood, they will face serious consequences. This means that if a person has a BAC even as low as .01, they can be convicted. Some common penalties for underage drinking and driving include a loss or postponement of driving privileges, lengthy community service, and alcohol and traffic safety program participation.

Ultimately, it’s always best to choose the have a designated driver or another alternate form of transportation for nights when you will be out and about with drinking on the agenda. Drunk driving can be prevented, but for those who choose to take the risk, the punishments are numerous.

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