Drink Driving Penalty Calculator UK 2026: Estimate Your Ban & Fine

The minimum penalty for driving or attempting to drive with excess alcohol is a 12-month driving ban and a Band B fine (75-125% of your weekly income). You will also receive a DR10 endorsement on your licence for 11 years and a criminal record. The victim surcharge and prosecution costs are added on top of the fine.

The maximum penalty in the magistrates' court is 6 months imprisonment, an unlimited fine, and a driving ban of 36 months or longer. For causing death by careless driving whilst over the limit, the case goes to Crown Court where the maximum is 14 years imprisonment.

Drink driving fines are based on your weekly income before tax. For readings of 36-59 micrograms in breath, the starting point is a Band C fine (150% of weekly income). For 60-89 micrograms, the starting point is also Band C. Courts adjust within the band range based on aggravating and mitigating factors. On top of the fine, you pay a victim surcharge (typically 10% of the fine amount) and prosecution costs (usually £85-£150).

Ban length depends on your reading. For 36-59 micrograms in breath: 12-16 months. For 60-89 micrograms: 17-22 months. For 90-119 micrograms: 23-28 months. For 120 micrograms and above: 29-36 months. A second offence within 10 years carries a minimum 36-month ban. Completing a drink drive rehabilitation course can reduce the ban by up to 25%.

Prison is unlikely for first-time offenders with readings below 120 micrograms unless there are serious aggravating factors like causing an accident or having children in the car. For readings of 120 micrograms and above, the starting point is 12 weeks custody, though many defendants receive suspended sentences or community orders instead with proper legal representation.

Yes, in several ways. A guilty plea at the first hearing reduces the fine by up to one-third. The drink drive rehabilitation course reduces the ban by up to 25%. Effective mitigation from a specialist solicitor can bring the sentence down within the range. Special reasons arguments can remove the ban entirely in exceptional circumstances such as spiked drinks or genuine emergencies.

Courts use three fine bands based on weekly income. Band A is 50% of weekly income (range 25-75%). Band B is 100% of weekly income (range 75-125%). Band C is 150% of weekly income (range 125-175%). Most drink driving offences start at Band C. The fine is adjusted within the band based on aggravating and mitigating factors, then reduced for an early guilty plea.

A community order is a sentence served outside prison. It can include unpaid work (40-300 hours), a curfew with electronic tagging, supervision by a probation officer, or an alcohol treatment requirement. Courts use community orders for mid-range drink driving offences (typically 60-119 micrograms) as either the main sentence or alongside a fine. Breaching a community order can result in imprisonment.

The penalties are the same regardless of whether your reading comes from breath, blood, or urine. The Sentencing Council guidelines set equivalent thresholds: 36-59 micrograms breath equals 81-137 milligrams blood equals 108-183 milligrams urine. Higher readings in any sample type carry the same escalating penalties. The calculator accepts readings from all three sample types.

Yes. A guilty plea at the first hearing reduces the fine by up to one-third. A plea after a trial date is set reduces it by about one-quarter. A plea at the door of the court reduces it by about one-tenth. The reduction applies to the fine and any custodial sentence but does not reduce the driving ban length.

Factors that can push the sentence up include previous convictions, being on bail at the time of the offence, carrying passengers (especially children), causing or being involved in an accident, poor road or weather conditions, evidence of poor driving standards, driving a large goods vehicle or public service vehicle, driving for hire or reward, and high levels of traffic or pedestrians nearby.

Factors that can bring the sentence down include no previous convictions, genuine remorse, good character and exemplary conduct, driving only a very short distance, spiked drinks (even where not amounting to special reasons), a genuine emergency, serious medical conditions, age or lack of maturity, mental health conditions or learning difficulties, and being the sole or primary carer for dependants.

You are classed as a high risk offender if your breath reading was 87.5 micrograms or above, your blood reading was 200 milligrams or above, you refused to provide a specimen, or you have been disqualified twice in 10 years for alcohol-related driving offences. High risk offenders must pass a DVLA medical examination before their licence can be returned at the end of the ban.

Yes. The calculator estimates the victim surcharge based on 10% of the fine for fines up to £5,000. It also estimates typical prosecution costs of £85. These are added to the fine to give you a total estimated cost. Actual surcharge amounts follow a statutory scale and may differ slightly.

No. This drink driving penalty calculator uses Sentencing Council guidelines that apply only to courts in England and Wales. Scotland has different drink driving limits (22 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath versus 35 in England and Wales) and its own sentencing framework.