BAC Limits in India

BAC limits by country: USA  ·  Canada  ·  Australia  ·  United Kingdom  ·  Ireland  ·  India

• National driving limit 0.03% (30 mg/100 ml)
• Full prohibition 3 states
• Partial prohibition 2 states

Understanding the Table

• Driving Limit — India has a single national limit under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988: 30 mg per 100 ml of blood (0.03%). It applies to every driver, in every state and union territory, including the prohibition states.
• Alcohol Status — Whether alcohol can legally be bought and consumed at all. This is set state by state under each state’s excise law and is separate from the driving limit.

All 28 States & 8 Union Territories

Data based on statutes as of September 2026 (last legal-data review: 19 September 2026).

Key Things to Know

0.03% Is One of the Strictest Limits in the World

At 0.03%, a single standard drink can put many adults over the limit. For most people the practical rule in India is simple: if you have had anything to drink, you are not driving.

Full Prohibition: Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland

In these states the sale and consumption of alcohol is illegal (Gujarat carves out GIFT City; Nagaland’s NLTP Act 1989 remains in force with only a Dimapur-district partial lift under consultation). Driving after drinking is therefore an offence regardless of BAC, and Alcophone shows a prohibition badge instead of a limit.

Partial Prohibition: Manipur and Mizoram

Mizoram permits only Mizoram-made wine and local fruit beer (Liquor (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2025, in force since 9 April 2025); spirits and all other liquor remain banned, and Sundays and national holidays are dry days. Manipur permits alcohol only in Greater Imphal, district headquarters, tourist locations and hotels with 20 or more rooms (since 6 December 2023). The 0.03% driving limit applies in both.

Lakshadweep Is No Longer Dry

After 47 years, Lakshadweep repealed prohibition on 5 June 2026 (Lakshadweep Excise Regulation 2026): licensed sale, 21 and over. The 0.03% driving limit applies.

Alcophone Has Your State Built In

Select your state or union territory and Alcophone applies the 0.03% national limit — and flags prohibition and partial-prohibition states so you know the local law before your first drink. The app’s body-composition model also includes a South Asian calibration, because the formulas developed on Western populations overestimate lean body mass for many Indian adults.