DMV PracticeAlcohol limits (BAC): California, Virginia, Oregon
Every knowledge test asks about alcohol. The adult limit is the same number in these three states; the rules for young drivers differ.
The table shows what the three handbooks say, as we read them on 12 November 2026. "Not in the passages we read" means only that: the handbook may well cover the point elsewhere, so look it up there.
| Rule | California | Virginia | Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult drivers, 21 and over | Illegal at 0.08% BAC or higher | Driving under the influence at .08 percent or higher | Presumed impaired at 0.08% or more |
| Drivers under 21 | Illegal at 0.01% or higher | Illegal consumption at .02 or more and less than .08 | A zero tolerance law is mentioned; see the manual for its terms |
| Below the adult limit | Not in the passages we read | You can be convicted with a lower BAC if your driving is impaired | You can still be arrested with a BAC lower than 0.08% |
| Open containers | Illegal to drink alcohol, or to smoke or eat a cannabis product, while driving or riding as a passenger | Not in the passages we read | Illegal to have an open container in a vehicle on any road; a broken seal counts as open |
0.08 is not a safe level
The handbooks are careful about this. Virginia's manual says a driver can be convicted with a BAC under .08 if driving is impaired, and Oregon's says you can be arrested below 0.08%. The figure is the point at which the law treats impairment as proven, not a line below which driving after drinking is acceptable. The only safe amount before driving is none.
Young drivers
For drivers under 21 the limits are close to zero: 0.01% in California and .02 in Virginia. A test question that asks for "the legal limit" will say which age group it means. Read it twice.
Other points in the handbooks
- California's handbook gives 0.01% for a driver of any age on DUI probation, and lists a lower limit for commercial drivers.
- California: refusing a chemical test leads to suspension or revocation of the driving privilege.
- Oregon: marijuana impairment is treated as seriously as alcohol, and using both together reduces ability further.
- Virginia: a person under 21 convicted with a BAC of at least .02 faces a one-year suspension and a fine or community service.
Test tip
Learn three numbers for your state: the adult limit, the under-21 limit, and the commercial limit if your handbook gives one. Penalties are asked less often than limits.
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Independent practice site. DMV Practice is not a government website and is not connected with any Department of Motor Vehicles or licensing agency. The questions are our own, written from each state's public driver handbook as we read it on 12 November 2026. They are not the official test questions. Laws change: the current handbook of your own state is the authority.