Illinois DUI Laws: Blood Alcohol Limits

If you are 21 years old or older, under Illinois DUI laws, you can be charged with a DUI if you have a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more.  Typically, a 170-pound male must consume four or more drinks, in one hour, on an empty stomach, to reach a .08.  A 137-pound female must generally have three drinks in one hour to reach the .08 level.  One drink is considered to be either 1 glass of wine, 1 shot of liquor, or 1 can of beer.  (The amount of alcohol in a mixed drink varies, depending on the type of drink, and the person making it.)  If you have additional questions about the legal BAC limit, please call your Chicago DUI lawyer.

There are many myths and misconceptions about how to “get around” the BAC limit.  For example, people often believe that if they drink a lot of coffee after having too much alcohol, they will “sober up” quickly.  This is not the case; the only thing that reverses alcohol impairment is time, and drinking coffee will not help an intoxicated person comply with Illinois DUI laws.  Another myth is that eating breath mints after drinking will affect a breath test.  Again, this will not help you to stay within the Illinois DUI laws for legal BAC.  Breath tests do not measure the smell of your breath, but instead measure alcohol content.  In addition, activities like splashing cold water on your face, taking a cold shower, and running around the block do not help to lower your BAC.  If you had tried these things, and were charged with a DUI, contact your Chicago DUI lawyer immediately. 

While the general illegal BAC is .08 under Illinois DUI laws, if you have a commercial driver’s license, .04 is an illegal BAC limit in Illinois.  And, if you are a school bus driver, you may not have any alcohol in your blood at all while driving the bus.  Your Chicago DUI lawyer can explain this more fully.  Drivers under the age of 21 may not have any alcohol in their blood while driving; for minors, Illinois DUI laws state that illegal BAC limit is .00.