Alcohol, Drugs & Graduated Licensing
Impaired driving causes many serious Louisiana crashes, so the state enforces firm BAC limits, especially for young drivers, and phases in driving privileges through graduated licensing.
BAC limits and implied consent
A driver 21 or older commits DWI at a BAC of 0.08 or higher; drugs, including some prescriptions, can impair you too. By driving you give implied consent to chemical testing, and refusal brings its own penalties.
Zero tolerance for under 21
Because underage drinking is illegal, Louisiana applies a 0.02 zero-tolerance BAC limit for drivers under 21, and violations suspend the young driver's license.
Graduated licensing stages
Louisiana teens earn a learner's permit at 15 after driver education, then an intermediate license at 16, and a full Class E license at 17. Intermediate drivers may not drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. without a licensed adult 21+, and may carry no more than one passenger under 21 during restricted hours.