Blood Alcohol Calculator — How Long to Sober Up

Estimate your current BAC and see how many hours until you're fully sober. Enter your drinks, weight, and drinking duration.

1 drink = 12oz beer, 5oz wine, or 1.5oz liquor

Your body weight

Affects alcohol distribution

Duration of drinking session

BAC = (Alcohol in grams ÷ (Body weight in grams × r)) × 100 - (Hours × 0.015); r = 0.68 (male) or 0.55 (female); Metabolism rate: 0.015% BAC per hour (fixed, cannot be sped up); 1 standard drink = 14g pure alcohol
Example: 5 drinks, 180 lb male, over 3 hours; Estimated BAC: 0.068%; Hours until sober (0.00%): 4.5 hours; Hours until under 0.08%: Already under; Impairment: Significant impairment — do not drive

How long does it take to sober up after drinking?

The liver metabolizes alcohol at a fixed rate of approximately 0.015% BAC per hour (one standard drink per hour). Nothing speeds this up - not coffee, cold showers, exercise, or food. Timeline examples: 2 drinks: ~2 hours to reach 0.00% BAC, 4 drinks: ~5-6 hours, 6 drinks: ~8-9 hours, 8 drinks: ~11-12 hours. Heavy drinking session (10+ drinks): May take 14+ hours to be fully sober. You can still be over the legal limit the morning after drinking. Plan ahead: 1 drink per hour maximum if you need to drive later, arrange a ride or Uber if drinking more.

What is a standard drink?

A standard drink contains 14 grams (0.6 fl oz) of pure alcohol: Beer (5% ABV): 12 oz (one regular can/bottle), Wine (12% ABV): 5 oz (one glass), Liquor (40% ABV/80 proof): 1.5 oz (one shot), Malt liquor (7% ABV): 8-9 oz, Craft beer (7-9% ABV): 8-12 oz counts as 1.5-2 standard drinks, Strong cocktails: A single mixed drink often contains 2-3 standard drinks. Most people underestimate how much alcohol they've consumed because: Drink pours at home are typically larger than standard, Craft beers are stronger than "standard" 5%, Mixed drinks often have multiple shots.

Does coffee or a cold shower help you sober up faster?

NO. Nothing speeds up alcohol metabolism. Common myths debunked: Coffee: Makes you a wide-awake drunk - you still have the same BAC and impaired reflexes, Cold shower: Temporarily alert but BAC unchanged, Food after drinking: Slows absorption of FUTURE alcohol but doesn't process existing alcohol, Exercise: Minimal effect - liver processes alcohol at fixed rate regardless, Time: The ONLY thing that works. Your liver metabolizes ~0.015% BAC per hour no matter what. Drinking water helps with hangover prevention (dehydration) but does NOT lower BAC faster. The only safe approach: Stop drinking and wait.

Can you fail a breathalyzer the next morning?

YES. Hangover drinking is a common cause of DUI. Examples: Night of heavy drinking (8+ drinks until 1am): BAC may still be 0.05-0.08% at 7am, Moderate drinking (4-5 drinks until 10pm): May be at 0.02-0.03% by 7am (under legal limit but still impaired), Binge drinking (12+ drinks): Could still be over 0.08% at noon the next day. Legal limit in USA: 0.08% BAC, Commercial drivers: 0.04% BAC, Under 21: Zero tolerance (0.01-0.02% depending on state). Rule of thumb: After heavy drinking, wait at least 12-16 hours before driving. When in doubt, don't drive.