Last Updated on September 29, 2021
Drinking and driving laws for Israel.
The law in Israel as published by the Israel Ministry of Transport and Road Safety dictates;
Young drivers
Drivers under the age of 24; drivers of commercial or work vehicles the overall permitted weight of which, according to the vehicle license, exceeds 3,500 kg; and drivers of paid-transport passenger vehicles, are forbidden to drive under the influence of alcohol if the blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds 50 micrograms of alcohol per liter of exhaled breath, or 10 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.
Experienced drivers
All other drivers are forbidden to drive a vehicle with a BAC exceeding 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, or 240 micrograms of alcohol per liter of exhaled breath.
- Emergency telephone numbers
- How to call the emergency services – Hebrew instructions with English transliterations
- Swapping details after a vehicular accident
Testing for alcohol
If the police suspect that you are driving under the influence of alcohol, they are permitted to request that you pass a roadside breath test (breathalyzer) or provide a blood or urine sample for a lab test. The penalty for refusing to undergo such a test – imprisonment for a year or a fine of NIS 10,000.
License suspension
If found driving under the influence of alcohol, your driving license is liable to be suspended on the spot by a police officer for a period of 30 days. This penalty is not in lieu of sentencing by a court.
License revocation
If convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, your driving license will be revoked by the court for a two-year period.
Demerit points
If convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, 10 demerit points will be assigned to your record, according to the current point system.
FYI
ינשוף (מתקן לבדיקת אלכוהול) – In Hebrew the breathalyzer is called Yanshuf (owl)
A Spanish translation of this article