I had one or two beers. Can I drive?
In short
Not if the alcohol in your blood is above 0,5 per mille (0,22 mg/l in your breath). For professional drivers the limit is 0,2 per mille. The safest choice: if you have been drinking, do not drive at all.
Video transcript
You had two beers this evening. Your car is outside the door. It depends: Above 0,5 per mille in the blood, driving is forbidden. For professional drivers the limit is 0,2. Police can test at any time. The right way: If you have been drinking, do not drive. Take a taxi or ask a sober friend. Fine notice: 0,5 – 0,8 per mille: Fl. 197 € · W./Br. 179 €; 0,8 – 1,0 per mille: Fl. 462 € · W./Br. 420 €; Also: Min. 12-hour driving ban.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- The blood alcohol limit is 0,5 per mille (0,22 mg/l in your breath). For professional drivers, such as bus, lorry and taxi drivers, it is 0,2 per mille.
- The police can give you a breath test (ademtest / test d'haleine) on the road at any time. You do not need to have broken a rule first.
- If you are over the limit, you are banned from driving for at least 12 hours. During this time you must give your licence to the police. Your vehicle can be impounded.
- By law, the police can take your licence away on the spot for 15 days from 0,22 mg/l in your breath (about 0,5 per mille), or if you refuse the test. Refusing the test is punished in the same way as a reading of 0,8 per mille or more.
- The same amount of drink does not give everyone the same alcohol level. Your weight, food and tiredness change the result.
- The alcohol limits also apply to people riding a bicycle or an electric scooter.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- On-the-spot fine (since 1 July 2026): in Flanders 197 € for 0,5–0,8 per mille, 462 € for 0,8–1,0 per mille and 636 € for 1,0–1,2 per mille. In Wallonia and Brussels, for the same bands, 179 €, 420 € and 578 € (each + 10,67 € administrative fee). Above 1,2 per mille there is no on-the-spot fine; the case goes to court.
Legal basis:KB 19.4.2014, art. 2 (Justel)wegcode.be – Rijden onder invloed
- Court / prison
- At the police court: a fine of 250 € – 5.000 € for 0,5–0,8 per mille, and 2.000 € – 20.000 € for 0,8 per mille or more. The court can give you a driving ban. At 0,5–0,8 per mille, the penalty is doubled if you reoffend within three years. At 0,8 per mille or more, a repeat offence can also lead to prison. In a fatal accident, you risk a heavy prison sentence. Ask a lawyer about the level of the penalty.
Legal basis:Wegverkeerswet art. 34 §1 en §2 (Justel)Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel)
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- A driving ban of at least 12 hours. The public prosecutor can withdraw your licence immediately (intrekking van het rijbewijs / retrait immédiat du permis), as a rule for 15 days. This mostly happens at 0,8 per mille or more.
Legal basis:Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 55 §1 1°, 56 1°, 60 §3 (Justel)
- At 1,8 per mille or more (even the first time), and for a repeat offence above 1,2 per mille, the court will normally order an alcohol interlock (alcoholslot / éthylotest antidémarrage)
Legal basis:Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel)
- If you cause an accident while drunk (dronkenschap / ivresse), your insurer pays the victim. If being drunk caused the accident, the insurer can ask you to pay back part of the money, up to 31.000 €.
Legal basis:KB 16.4.2018 (BA-motorrijtuigen), bijlage art. 44, 46 2° a)
- A driving ban means losing your job if you need a vehicle for your work
What do these terms mean?
- On-the-spot payment
- A fixed amount offered by the police. If you pay, the case is closed and does not go to court. If not, the prosecutor takes over; the amount can rise and the case can go to court.
- Police court
- The court for traffic offences and appeals against GAS fines. Despite the name, it is not part of the police; an independent judge decides.
Why does this rule exist?
Alcohol makes your reactions slower and makes it harder to judge distances. Alcohol is involved in a large share of fatal accidents. This rule protects the driver, the passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Where can you go?
- Municipal driving licence serviceExchanging a foreign driving licence and other licence matters
- Free first-line legal adviceIf you have been summoned to the police court (juridische eerstelijnsbijstand / aide juridique de première ligne)
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 15 / 15 statements in an official source
- Checked: 12.10.2026
- Last checked
- 12.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 15 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Sınır 0,5 promil (0,22 mg/l nefes)
Wet 16 maart 1968 (Wegverkeerswet), art. 34 §1 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Profesyonel sürücülerde 0,2 promil (otobüs, kamyon, taksi)
Wet 16 maart 1968 (Wegverkeerswet), art. 34 §3 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Polis ihlal olmadan da nefes testi yapabilir
Wet 16 maart 1968 (Wegverkeerswet), art. 59 §1, 2° (Justel) - Found in an official source
Sınır aşılırsa en az 12 saat sürüş yasağı
Wet 16 maart 1968 (Wegverkeerswet), art. 60 §3 (Justel) - Corrected according to the source
Sınır aşılınca ehliyet polise verilir; araç alıkonabilir
Wet 16 maart 1968 (Wegverkeerswet), art. 61 (Justel) - Found in an official source
0,8 promil ve üzerinde ehliyete 15 gün el konabilir
wegcode.be – Rijden onder invloed (wegcode açıklama sayfası; 17.10.2026 resmî metinle çelişki bulunmadı) - Found in an official source
Alkol sınırı bisiklet ve e-step için de geçerli
Wet 16 maart 1968 (Wegverkeerswet), art. 34 §1 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Anında ödeme 197 / 462 / 636 €; 1,2 üstü yok; +10,67 €
wegcode.be – Rijden onder invloed (wegcode açıklama sayfası; 17.10.2026 resmî metinle çelişki bulunmadı) - Found in an official source
Mahkemede 250–5.000 € (0,5–0,8) ve 2.000–20.000 € (≥0,8)
Wegverkeerswet art. 34 §1 en §2 (W 25.5.2026, yürürlük 1.9.2026) (Justel) — tutarlar ×1,25 ile: 250–5.000 € / 2.000–20.000 € - Found in an official source
0,5–0,8 promilde üç yıl içinde tekrarda ceza iki katı; 0,8 promil ve üzerinde tekrarda hapis de mümkün
Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Alkol kilidi: 1,8 promil ve üzerinde ilk seferde, 1,2 promil üstü tekrarda kural olarak zorunlu
Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 36, 34 §1, 29 §4 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Ehliyete yerinde el koyma 0,22 mg/l (0,5 promil) ve testi reddetmede mümkün; reddetme 0,8+ ile aynı ceza
Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968 art. 34 §2 3°, 55 §1 1°, 60 §3 (Justel) - Corrected according to the source
Alkol anında ödeme tutarları bölgeye göre: Flandre 197/462/636 €, Valonya ve Brüksel 179/420/578 € (1.7.2026)
KB 19.4.2014, art. 2 (Vlaams, Waals en Brussels Gewest; BVR 8.5.2026, BWG 25.6.2026, BESL 21.5.2026, yürürlük 1.7.2026) (Justel) - Corrected according to the source
Sınır aşılınca 12 saat sürüş yasağı; savcılık ehliyete hemen el koyabilir, ehliyet kural olarak 15 gün sonra geri verilir. Kanunda 0,8 promil şartı yok (0,22 mg/l'den itibaren mümkün); 0,8 uygulama eşiği
Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 55 §1 1°, 56 1°, 60 §3 (Justel) - Found in an official source
Sigorta mağdura öder; sarhoşluk (ağır kusur) ile kaza arasında bağ varsa sigortacı sizden en fazla 31.000 € geri ister
KB 16.4.2018 (BA-motorrijtuigen), bijlage art. 44, 46 2° a)
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?