Drink Driving in Singapore: Limits and Penalties

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Consult a qualified advocate and solicitor about your situation. Information last verified on 23 July 2026.

Drink driving in Singapore is a serious offence carrying a mandatory disqualification even for a first conviction. This guide sets out the legal limit, the penalties for a first and a repeat offence, the disqualification periods, and how refusing a breath test is treated. The disqualification provisions were most recently amended in 2026, so the figures below are current as of the date checked.

The offence: section 67

It is an offence under section 67 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 to drive, or attempt to drive, a motor vehicle on a road or other public place while having more alcohol in your body than the prescribed limit. The offence turns on the measured proportion of alcohol, not on whether your driving was visibly affected.

The prescribed limit

The prescribed limit is defined in the Act as 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. These figures are the current thresholds. The police may require a driver to provide a breath specimen, and in limited circumstances a blood specimen.

Penalties for a first offence

On a first conviction, section 67 provides for a fine of not less than S$2,000 and not more than S$10,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both. In addition, the court must disqualify a first offender from driving for at least 2 years.

Penalties for a repeat offence

On a second or subsequent conviction, the penalty is higher: a fine of not less than S$5,000 and not more than S$20,000, and imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years. For a repeat offence both penalties apply together, rather than one or the other. A repeat offender must be disqualified from driving for at least 5 years.

Disqualification and the life ban

The disqualification periods are 2 years for a first offender and 5 years for a repeat offender. Where a person is convicted under section 67 and already has two or more earlier relevant convictions, the court must, subject to a special-reasons discretion, disqualify that person from driving for life.

These disqualification provisions carry recent amendment markers, the most recent taking effect in 2026, so treat the periods above as current as of the date this page was verified rather than as long-settled figures.

Refusing or failing a breath test

Refusing to provide a breath or blood specimen without a reasonable excuse is itself punished as if the person had been convicted under section 67. There is also an evidentiary presumption that the alcohol proportion measured at testing was the proportion at the time of driving, which a driver may seek to rebut with proof of drinking after driving.

Being in charge of a vehicle

Being in charge of a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit, without actually driving it, is dealt with as a separate offence under section 68 of the Act. If your situation turns on the difference between driving and merely being in charge of a vehicle, take advice on how section 68 applies.

Section 67A is not the ordinary repeat provision

The ordinary repeat drink-driving penalties sit inside section 67 itself, in the second-or-subsequent-conviction wording above. Section 67A is a separate and broader enhancement that can apply where an offender has previous convictions across a range of specified driving offences, allowing up to three times the normal punishment, and caning where the offence caused serious injury or death. It is not the plain repeat drink-driving section.

For how a drink-driving disqualification interacts with the wider penalty regime, see Common Traffic Offences in Singapore and the section overview at Driving and Traffic Laws in Singapore.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the drink driving limit in Singapore?

The prescribed limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Driving with more than this is an offence under section 67 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.

What is the penalty for drink driving in Singapore for a first offence?

A first offence carries a fine of S$2,000 to S$10,000 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment, plus disqualification from driving for at least 2 years.

What happens for a repeat drink driving offence in Singapore?

A second or subsequent conviction carries a fine of S$5,000 to S$20,000 and up to 2 years imprisonment, with both penalties applying together, and disqualification from driving for at least 5 years.

Can you be banned from driving for life for drink driving in Singapore?

Yes. Where an offender convicted under section 67 already has two or more earlier relevant convictions, the court must, subject to a special-reasons discretion, disqualify that person from driving for life.

What happens if you refuse a breath test in Singapore?

Refusing to provide a breath or blood specimen without a reasonable excuse is punished as if you had been convicted of drink driving under section 67.

Is drink driving disqualification mandatory in Singapore?

Yes. On conviction under section 67 the court must disqualify the driver, for at least 2 years for a first offender and at least 5 years for a repeat offender.