Alcohol, drugs and tiredness

You may not drive if you are impaired

Anyone who cannot drive safely because of illness, tiredness, alcohol, drugs or anything else may not drive.

Source: Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 1 § · Legal text (Swedish): Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276) (opens in a new tab)

Drink-driving

• The limit is 0.2 per mille in the blood or 0.10 mg per litre of exhaled air. It is enough for the level to be reached during or after the journey.
• It is enough for there to be traces of narcotics in the blood, unless they were taken as prescribed by a doctor.
• The penalty is a fine or imprisonment for up to six months.

Source: Lag (1951:649) om straff för vissa trafikbrott 4 § · Legal text (Swedish): Act (1951:649) on Penalties for Certain Traffic Offences (opens in a new tab)

Aggravated drink-driving

When the court assesses whether the offence is aggravated, particular account is taken of whether the driver had at least 1.0 per mille, was considerably impaired or whether the driving involved obvious danger. The penalty for aggravated drink-driving is imprisonment for up to two years.

Source: Lag (1951:649) om straff för vissa trafikbrott 4 a § · Legal text (Swedish): Act (1951:649) on Penalties for Certain Traffic Offences (opens in a new tab)

Your driving licence

For drink-driving the licence is revoked with a waiting period of between one month and three years, and at least one year for an aggravated offence. In some cases you can instead keep your licence on condition of an alcohol interlock.

Source: Körkortslagen 5 kap. 1, 3 och 6 §§ · Legal text (Swedish): Driving Licence Act (1998:488) (opens in a new tab)