Posted by duijim in on April 23, 2025
As a general rule, anyone caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level exceeding the legal limit is considered intoxicated and should be charged with DUI. Depending on state law and severity of incident, DUI charges can lead to both criminal and non-criminal sanctions; first-time offenders in Georgia could potentially face jail time, probation with mandatory DUI school attendance, fines/surcharges as well as license suspension for months or years.
Although federal laws vary between states when setting a blood alcohol content (BAC) threshold limit for motorists operating passenger vehicles, most have adopted a legal per se BAC limit of 0.08% as set by most states for motorists operating passenger vehicles. Commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders must abide by stricter guidelines with their limit falling to 0.04% for truck and bus operators drivers. Furthermore, certain states enact zero tolerance drunk driving laws against younger drivers aged 21 or younger even when their BAC falls below their state legal limit set legally by states.
Congress recently proposed legislation to lower the legal BAC limit, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, that would mandate states adopt a 0.05 threshold by 2025, according to its National Transportation Safety Board proposal. In 2013, however, NTSB’s call for action regarding lowering legal BAC levels was widely disregarded and ignored by both individuals and state governments alike. If approved as law, such an amendment could lead to significant reduction in DUI penalties for repeat offenders.