What is the alcohol limit for truck drivers in the EU?

There is no single EU-wide blood alcohol limit for truck drivers. Nine EU countries apply a strict 0.0 g/l limit to commercial drivers, including Germany, Italy and Croatia, while others allow up to 0.5 g/l, such as Bulgaria and the Netherlands, so the legal threshold changes at every border.

Is there an EU-wide alcohol limit for truck drivers?

No. Alcohol limits for professional drivers remain a national competence, and the European Union has not harmonised a single HGV threshold. The European Parliament confirmed on 2025-03-24 that the new EU driving licence directive mandates a two-year zero-tolerance rule for novice drivers across all member states and formally encourages a broader zero-tolerance policy, but it stops short of setting one binding limit for professional HGV drivers. The direction of travel is toward stricter rules, not looser ones, so carriers running cross-border routes should plan around the tightest limit on the route rather than the loosest.

Which EU countries set the strictest limits for HGV drivers?

According to the ETSC's BAC comparison table , nine EU countries apply a 0.0 g/l limit to commercial drivers, while others use a graduated scale below the standard 0.5 g/l motorist limit.

A driver who is legal in the Netherlands at 0.5 g/l would already be over the limit in Germany or Poland, which is why route-specific checks matter more than a single company-wide driving-hours policy .

Why do professional drivers face stricter limits than other motorists?

Commercial and HGV drivers carry more responsibility per trip: heavier vehicles, longer hours, and cargo that puts other road users at greater risk if reaction time slips. The ETSC's report on drink driving in commercial transport argues that lower thresholds for professional drivers reduce crash severity even at small BAC levels, and most member states that regulate commercial transport separately from private motoring have adopted that logic. For carriers, this is also a duty-of-care question worth building into driver vetting , not just a legal minimum to clear.

Frequently asked questions

Do haulage companies set stricter alcohol rules than the legal minimum?

Yes, many carriers apply a zero-tolerance policy company-wide regardless of the national legal limit, since it simplifies compliance across multi-country routes and reduces liability exposure. Checking a prospective employer's written alcohol policy during recruitment is a reasonable step before taking on international runs.

Is the alcohol limit for truck drivers the same as for bus drivers?

Not always. France, for example, sets a 0.5 g/l limit for lorry drivers but a stricter 0.2 g/l limit for bus drivers, reflecting the higher passenger-safety stakes of coach and bus operations.

What is the alcohol limit for truck drivers in Germany?

Germany applies a 0.0 g/l limit to commercial drivers, meaning any measurable blood alcohol content while operating an HGV is a legal violation, regardless of how far below the 0.5 g/l private-motorist limit it falls. This zero-tolerance approach applies to any vehicle requiring a commercial or HGV licence, not just long-haul trucks.

Can a truck driver lose their licence for a positive breath test abroad?

Yes. A positive breath test abroad typically means an on-the-spot fine or licence suspension in the country where it happened, and many haulage employers treat any foreign drink-driving offence as a serious compliance breach regardless of where it occurred, which can end the driver's contract even without a cross-border licence ban.

Fleets that want to keep alcohol policy and driver compliance records in one place can manage it through the Logifie driver assistant app .