How Many Drinks Can You Have Before Driving in Wisconsin?

Written By: Amy Scholz

OWI & Criminal Defense Attorney

The number of drinks someone can consume without being too impaired to drive in Wisconsin depends on gender, weight, the type of drink(s) consumed, and the frequency of consumption. In Wisconsin, it’s illegal to drive if your blood alcohol content is at or exceeds 0.08% (and/or if you're too impaired to safely operate a vehicle). If someone’s BAC is below .08%, they can still get charged with DUI/OWI if the police believe the driver is too impaired to safely operate. Alcohol affects everyone differently and there is no rule of thumb about the number of drinks you can have before driving.

It's recommended you don’t drive if you’ve consumed any amount of alcohol.

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How many drinks does it take to reach a BAC of 0.08?

Blood alcohol content is measured by how many milligrams of alcohol are present in 100 milliliters of blood. The best way to measure BAC is with a blood or breath test. On average, men can consume 1-3 drinks every hour and women can consume 1-2 drinks every hour to stay below a BAC of .08%. However, everyone’s body reacts to alcohol differently.

How Much Alcohol is in My Drink?

The number of drinks you can consume and still be able to drive depends on the amount of alcohol within each drink that’s consumed. In the United States, one “standard drink” is said to contain around 14 grams of pure alcohol. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol is found in 12 ounces of beer (a standard can), in 5 ounces of 12% alcohol wine, and in 1.5 ounces of 40% alcohol spirits.

*Just because your BAC is below .08 does not mean it is safe for you to drive. If you’ve consumed any amount of alcohol, it’s best to refrain from operating a vehicle altogether

How much beer can you drink before hitting .08?

1-3 12 FL OZ Beers
1-2 12 FL OZ Beers

To avoid exceeding a blood alchohol level of .08, it is usually safe for most men to consume 1-3 12-ounce beers containing 5% alcohol in an hour. It is usually safe for most women to consume 1-2 12-ounce beers containing 5% alcohol in an hour to stay below a BAC of .08.

*Just because your BAC is below .08 does not mean it is safe for you to drive. If you’ve consumed any amount of alcohol it’s best to refrain from operating a vehicle altogether.

How many shots can you drink before hitting .08?

1-3 1.5 FL OZ Shots
1-2 1.5 FL OZ Shots

On average, a male can consume 1-3 1.5 fl oz shots of distilled spirits over an hour to maintain a BAC below 0.08%. A female can consume 1-2 1.5 fl oz shots of distilled spirits over an hour to maintain a BAC below 0.08%, on average.

*Just because your BAC is below .08 does not mean it is safe for you to drive. If you’ve consumed any amount of alcohol it’s best to refrain from operating a vehicle altogether.

How much wine can you drink before hitting .08?

1-3 5 FL OZ Wine
1-2 5 FL OZ Wine

The average male can consume about 1-3 5 fl oz glasses of table wine containing 12% alcohol to stay below a 0.08 BAC. The average female can consume about 1-2 fl oz glasses of table wine containing 12% alcohol to stay below a 0.08 BAC.

*Just because your BAC is below .08 does not mean it is safe for you to drive. If you’ve consumed any amount of alcohol it’s best to refrain from operating a vehicle altogether.

How many mixed drinks can you drink before hitting .08?

1-3 1.5 FL OZ Spirits
1-2 1.5 FL OZ Spirits

A male can consume roughly 1-3 mixed drinks containing 1.5 fl oz or less of gin, rum, tequila, or other spirits containing 40% alcohol or less, on average. On average, a female can consume around 1-2 mixed drinks containing 1.5 fl oz or less of gin, rum, tequila, or other spirits containing 40% alcohol or less in an hour to stay below a BAC of 0.08.

Male Female

Estimate Your Blood Alcohol Content

The best way to measure someone’s blood alcohol content without a blood or breath test is by using a calculation that considers the number of “standard drinks” consumed in an hour, weight, and gender.

The below BAC charts were developed for an alcohol research study conducted by the University of Geneseo New York. The charts assume the “number of drinks consumed” is consumed within a one-hour period.

How to use:Find the appropriate body weight in pounds on the top row and the number of drinks consumed in an hour on the far left column. Move straight down from the weight column and to the right on the drinks row until the two intersect - this is the estimated BAC.

Number of Drinks Consumed
Weight in Pounds
 100120140160180200220240
1 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02
2 0.09 0.07 0.06 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.043
3 0.13 0.11 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.06 0.05
4 0.17 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07
5 0.22 0.18 0.16 0.14 0.12 0.11 0.1 0.09
6 0.26 0.22 0.19 0.16 0.15 0.13 0.12 0.11
7 0.3 0.25 0.22 0.19 0.17 0.15 0.14 0.13
8 0.35 0.29 0.25 0.22 0.19 0.17 0.16 0.14
9 0.37 0.32 0.26 0.24 0.2 0.19 0.17 0.15
Weight in Pounds
 100120140160180200220240
1 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.02
2 0.1 0.08 0.07 0.06 0.06 0.05 0.05 0.04
3 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.1 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.06
4 0.2 0.17 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.1 0.09 0.09
5 0.25 0.21 0.18 0.16 0.14 0.13 0.12 0.11
6 0.3 0.26 0.22 0.19 0.17 0.15 0.14 0.13
7 0.36 0.3 0.26 0.22 0.2 0.18 0.16 0.15
8 0.41 0.33 0.29 0.26 0.23 0.2 0.19 0.17
9 0.46 0.37 0.33 0.29 0.26 0.23 0.21 0.19

How Long Should You Wait to Drive After Drinking?

The ideal time for someone to drive after drinking alcohol is when their BAC is 0%. The amount of time it takes for your blood alcohol level to return back to 0 depends on gender, body weight, and the number of drinks consumed. According to the American Education Systems of Eau Claire and Pepperdine University:

  • On average, it takes a male 1.62 hours to return back to a BAC of 0 after having one drink.
  • It takes a female roughly 1.87 hours to return back to a BAC of 0 after having one drink, on average.

The more someone drinks, the longer it takes to reach sobriety.

Effects of Alcohol based on BAC

The higher someone’s blood alcohol content, the more they will be impaired, and the less able they will be to drive. On average, alcohol impairs people in similar ways, but everyone will experience something slightly different. The below BAC impairment info was provided by a study conducted by Geneseo, The State University of New York:

BAC .02% - .03%

You may feel relaxed, slightly lightheaded, and your natural mood could be intensified.

BAC .05% - .06%

You may start to feel warm and relaxed. Any feelings of shyness will loosen and your actions will become exaggerated. Your reaction time will start to slow down.

BAC .08% - .09%

You could be starting to slur your speech and you may think you’re functioning better than you actually are. At this point, your motor skills will be too impaired to legally drive. Your vision and hearing are worse than normal and your ability to properly assess situations is highly impaired.

BAC .10% - .12%

You begin to lose your balance and coordination. Your memory of the proceeding hours is foggy and your ability to recall how many drinks you’ve consumed is poor. Your emotions have become overexaggerated and you may become irritated or aggressive. You most definitely shouldn’t even consider driving at this stage.

BAC .14% - .17%

You will begin to feel uneasy and may now realize your level of intoxication is more than you can handle. You’re having difficulty talking, walking, and standing. At this stage, you’re more likely to accidentally hurt yourself or others. Blackouts are common.

BAC .20%+

At this point, your body is at high risk of mental and physical damage. You’re so impaired that you likely won’t remember anything the next day. You won’t feel pain and are likely to injure yourself or others around you. Exceeding a BAC of .20% puts you at risk of passing out. Reaching levels as high as .35% may cause you to stop breathing.

What to do if you were Pulled Over For Drunk Driving in Wisconsin

If you were pulled over for a DUI/OWI in Wisconsin, your best chance at getting your charges dropped or reduced is by hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney. An experienced criminal defense law firm like Grieve Law is able to analyze the facts of your case to develop a strong defense for you in court. A drunk driving charge will stay on your record for the rest of your life and could end up costing you thousands of dollars. To avoid a drunk driving conviction in Wisconsin, contact the OWI defense attorneys at Grieve Law.