Drink-driving penalties

The 2024 Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety keeps the absolute ban: driving with any alcohol in blood or breath is an offence — there is no "a little is fine" threshold.

Three bands

1. Up to 50 mg/100 ml of blood or 0.25 mg per litre of breath;
2. Over 50–80 mg/100 ml of blood or 0.25–0.4 mg per litre of breath;
3. Over 80 mg/100 ml of blood or 0.4 mg per litre of breath.

Higher bands mean heavier fines and longer licence suspension; at the top band a car driver faces a fine in the tens of millions of dong plus licence withdrawal, along with licence point deductions under Decree 168/2024.

No automatic medical exemption

Alcohol produced by illness or by food (syrups, fermented fruit) is not an automatic defence. A driver who disputes a breath reading may request a blood test at a medical facility.

This is a quick-reference summary. Always check the original legal document before relying on it — editors keep this article up to date in the CMS.