What is the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21, state by state?
Every state’s answer, and the District of Columbia’s, from its own manual or code: 51 have a rule on this, quoted below with where it is written.
Statutes fetched between 5 and 7 October 2026; manuals fetched between 6 September and 4 October 2026. How the answers are made
| State | The rule | Where it is written | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | It is unlawful for a person under 21 to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .02% or more. | Alabama Driver Manual, p.33 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Alaska | It is illegal in Alaska for a person under 21 to consume alcohol, and one under 21 who operates a motor vehicle, aircraft or watercraft after consuming alcohol in any amount can be arrested or cited. | Alaska Driver Manual, p.20 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Arizona | A driver under 21 may have the license suspended if there is any alcohol concentration at all. | Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, p.65 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Arkansas | In Arkansas, a driver under 21 can be arrested for Underage Driving Under the Influence with an alcohol concentration of 0.02%. | Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, p.75 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| California | It is illegal to drive if you have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01% or higher and you are under 21 years old. | California Driver’s Handbook, p.73 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Colorado | A license may be revoked on a blood alcohol concentration over .02 if the driver is under 21. | Colorado Driver Handbook, p.3 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Connecticut | A Connecticut driver under 21 is subject to zero tolerance: penalties apply for driving with any measurable alcohol in the blood, defined as two hundredths of one percent or more, on public roads and on private property. | Connecticut Driver's Manual, p.33 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Delaware | Under Delaware's zero tolerance law, a driver under 21 who drives after consuming alcohol has their license revoked for two months for a first offense. | Delaware Driver Manual, p.54 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| District of Columbia | (9) “Intoxicated” means: (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, that: (i) An alcohol concentration at the time of testing of 0.08 grams or more per 100 milliliters of the person’s blood or per 210 liters of the person’s breath, or of 0.10 grams or more per 100 milliliters of the person’s urine; or (ii) Any measurable amount of alcohol in the person’s blood, urine, or breath if the person is under 21 years of age. (B) If operating or in physical control of a commercial vehicle, that: (i) An alcohol concentration at the time of testing of 0.04 grams or more per 100 milliliters of the person’s blood or per 210 liters of the person’s breath, or of 0.08 grams or more per 100 milliliters of the person’s urine; or (ii) Any measurable amount of alcohol in the person’s blood, urine, or breath if the person is under 21 years of age. | District of Columbia law, D.C. Code § 50-2206.01(9) | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Florida | A driver under 21 stopped with a blood alcohol level of .02 or higher automatically loses the driving privilege for six months. | Official Florida Driver License Handbook, p.26 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Georgia | A driver under 21 in Georgia is taken to be under the influence at 0.02 grams or more by alcohol weight in the blood, which is a quarter of the adult figure. | Georgia Driver's Manual, p.56 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Hawaii | Under Hawaii's zero tolerance rule, drivers under 21 may not drive with a blood alcohol content of .02 or more. | State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.56 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Idaho | Under Idaho law you are driving under the influence if your blood-alcohol concentration is .02 or more and you are under 21 years of age. | July 2026 Idaho Driver's Handbook, p.131 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Illinois | A driver under 21 found with any trace of alcohol in their system while driving has their privileges suspended for at least three months. | Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.52 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Indiana | (a) A person who: (1) is less than twenty-one (21) years of age; and (2) operates a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to at least two-hundredths (0.02) gram but less than eight-hundredths (0.08) gram of alcohol per: (A) one hundred (100) milliliters of the person's blood; or (B) two hundred ten (210) liters of the person's breath; commits a Class C infraction. | Indiana law, Ind. Code § 9-30-5-8.5(a) | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Iowa | A driver under 21 is considered to be operating while intoxicated with a BAC of .02 or more. | Iowa Driver's License Manual, p.37 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kansas | (a) It shall be unlawful for any person less than 21 years of age to operate or attempt to operate a vehicle in this state with a breath or blood alcohol content of .02 or greater. | Kansas law, K.S.A. 8-1567a(a) | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Kentucky | A Kentucky driver under 21 is in violation of the law with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more. | Kentucky Driver Manual, p.26 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Louisiana | In Louisiana, the legal blood alcohol limit for a driver 20 years of age or younger is .02. | Class D & E Driver's Guide, p.123 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Maine | A driver under 21 found driving with any amount of alcohol in their blood, or refusing the test, loses their license for at least 1 year. | Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.36 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Maryland | Every licensee under 21 is under an alcohol restriction: no driving with any alcohol in the blood at all. | Maryland law, Md. Code, Transp. § 16-113(b) | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts has a zero-tolerance law: a driver under 21 caught with a blood alcohol content as low as 0.02 loses their license. | Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.73 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Michigan | Being younger than 21 with any bodily alcohol content is a four-point violation. | What Every Driver Must Know, p.14 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Minnesota | It is illegal for a driver under 21 to operate a vehicle with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system. | Minnesota Driver’s Manual, p.93 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Mississippi | A driver under 21 is under the influence of alcohol if their BAC registers .02% or more. | Mississippi Driver's License Manual, p.78 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Missouri | The blood alcohol limit for a driver under 21 is 0.02%. | Missouri Driver Guide, p.71 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Montana | In Montana the BAC limit for a driver under 21 is 0.02. | Montana Driver Manual, p.72 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nebraska | It is unlawful for a driver under 21 to drive on Nebraska roadways with a BAC of .02% or higher. | Nebraska Driver’s Manual, p.24 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nevada | If you are under 21 and a chemical test shows an alcohol concentration of .02% but less than .08%, your driving privilege will be suspended. | Nevada Driver Handbook, p.79 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Hampshire | For a driver under 21 years old, a blood alcohol concentration of .02% or higher is legally intoxicated. | New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p.6 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Jersey | For a driver under 21 it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 percent or higher. | New Jersey Driver Manual, p.115 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Mexico | In New Mexico a driver under 21 can be arrested for a BAC of .02%. | New Mexico Driver Manual, p.29 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| New York | Under the state's zero tolerance law it is a violation for a person under 21 to drive with any BAC that can be measured, from .02 to .07. | New York State Driver's Manual, p.57 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Carolina | A driver under 21 convicted of driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs in their body loses their license for one year. | North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.33 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Dakota | A driver under age 21 is considered legally under the influence of alcohol at .02% or greater. | North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.36 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Ohio | For a driver under twenty-one the blood alcohol limit is point zero two percent, and for a commercial driver it is point zero four percent. | Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws, p.32 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oklahoma | In Oklahoma, it is unlawful for a person under 21 to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle with any measurable quantity of alcohol in the blood or breath. | Oklahoma Driver Manual, p.67 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oregon | A driver under 21 fails the test with a blood alcohol concentration of any amount, because Oregon has a zero tolerance law; a driver 21 or over fails at 0.08 percent or more. | 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, p.83 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | If you are under 21 you are considered to be driving under the influence at a blood alcohol level of .02 or greater. | PA Driver's Manual, p.82 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Rhode Island | A Rhode Island driver under 21 is impaired at a BAC of .02%. | Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.61 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| South Carolina | A driver under 21 who registers a BAC of 0.02 percent or greater has their privilege to drive suspended immediately for at least 3 months. | South Carolina Driver's Manual, p.38 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| South Dakota | Zero tolerance laws mean no alcohol in the circulatory system; in South Dakota a driver under 21 can be arrested for alcohol impairment at 0.02% BAC. | South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.20 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Tennessee | A person at least 16 but not yet 21 who is found driving with a BAC of .02 percent will be convicted of underage driving while impaired. | Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.83 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Texas | Texas law does not allow any amount of blood alcohol concentration for minors. | Texas Driver Handbook, p.55 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Utah | Under Utah’s Not-a-Drop Act a person under 21 driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in their body loses all driving privileges for six months on a first offense. | Utah Driver Handbook 2026-2027, p.52 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Vermont | A person under 21 who drives with an alcohol concentration of .02 or more can receive a civil traffic violation, has their license suspended and must complete an alcohol and driving education program at their own expense. | 2025 Vermont Driver's Manual, p.52 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Virginia | A driver under 21 can be convicted of illegal consumption of alcohol at a blood alcohol content of at least .02 percent and less than .08 percent. | Virginia Driver's Manual, p.24 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Washington | A driver under 21 faces the same consequences at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent. | Washington State Driver Guide, p.38 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia has a zero tolerance law: a driver under 21 with any measurable alcohol in their system will lose their driver's license. | West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.21 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Wisconsin | The legal alcohol concentration allowed for drivers under the age of 21 is 0.00%. | Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook, p.49 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Wyoming | A Wyoming driver younger than 21 in actual physical control of a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent or more is suspended for DWUI. | Wyoming Rules of the Road Driver License Manual, p.22 | 14 Sep 2026 |
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