Put in the reading. See what the sentencing guideline says. The minimum is a year, which surprised more people than I expected.
This is the published guideline, not a prediction. Courts can go higher or lower depending on the circumstances, and real cases have real solicitors. If you are actually facing a charge, talk to one.
At least 12 months. That part isn't up to anyone. If you're convicted of driving over the limit, the court has to ban you for a year minimum, and for three years if you've done it before in the last ten.
After that, the length mostly depends on how far over you were. The Sentencing Council publishes the bands courts in England and Wales start from. Here they are:
| Breath (µg) | Blood (mg) | Urine (mg) | Starting point | Ban (1st offence) | Ban (2nd in 10 yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36-59 | 81-137 | 108-183 | Band C fine | 12-16 months | 36-40 months |
| 60-89 | 138-206 | 184-274 | Band C fine | 17-22 months | 36-46 months |
| 90-119 | 207-275 | 275-366 | Medium level community order | 23-28 months | 36-52 months |
| 120+ | 276+ | 367+ | 12 weeks' custody | 29-36 months | 36-60 months |
The legal limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms of breath. So the first band starts at 36. One microgram over is still over.1
Fines are set as a percentage of your weekly income after tax. Band B starts at 100% of a week's pay (range 75-125%). Band C starts at 150% (range 125-175%). So on £550 a week, a Band C starting point is about £825, before costs and the victim surcharge. For this offence there's no upper cap.
Sometimes. If you're banned for 12 months or more, the court can offer a drink-drive rehabilitation course. Finish it and the ban can come down by up to a quarter. The court decides whether to offer it, you pay for it, and it's a few days of your life you won't get back. Still better than the alternative.
Scotland's limit is lower: 22 micrograms of breath, 50mg of blood. The 12 month minimum ban still applies (it's UK law), but Scottish courts don't use the England and Wales guideline above, so the calculator only tells you whether you'd be over and what the legal minimums are. Same story for Northern Ireland, which has the same limit as England but its own sentencing guidance.2
The ban is the headline. The rest is quieter and lasts longer. The conviction sits on your licence for 11 years. Insurance goes up a lot. If you drive for work, your employer will see it. Some countries, the USA among them, get funny about letting you in.
I'm not saying this to wag a finger. I used to do the "I feel fine" test on Saturday mornings, which is not a test. It's a vibe.
I built this after my mate Paul asked me, in the pub, what the actual ban would be "for like one over." He was asking for a friend. The friend was Paul. He wasn't driving, to be fair, he just wanted to know. Anyway: a year. Minimum. Paul went quiet and ordered a lime and soda.
For what it's worth, I mostly drink IMPOSSIBREW on weeknights now, which means this whole question doesn't come up. That's my referral link - you get a tenner off, I get a tenner of credit. I was buying it before I had a link.