Zero tolerance and impaired driving in Alberta
As a learner or probationary driver, the legal amount of alcohol or drugs in your system when you drive is zero. This guide explains that rule, the penalties, and how impaired driving is handled in Alberta.p. 10p. 111
Checked against the Driver’s Guide (Spring 2026) on .
The short version
- Class 7 and Class 5-GDL drivers must have zero alcohol and zero drugs. Any amount breaks the rule.p. 112
- Breaking it means an immediate 30-day licence suspension and a 7-day vehicle seizure, plus a fine.p. 112
- Impairment begins with the first drink or drug use.p. 108
- Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can impair your driving too.p. 107
Zero means zero for new drivers
Every GDL driver, both Class 7 learners and Class 5-GDL probationary drivers, must have a zero alcohol and drug level when driving. Alberta’s IRS ZERO: Novice program takes a zero tolerance approach to any alcohol or drugs for these drivers.p. 10p. 112
To leave the GDL program, you must be free of suspensions and traffic violations, including the zero alcohol and drug rule, for the last 12 months of the probationary stage. The zero tolerance condition is removed only when you leave GDL.p. 11
What happens if a new driver breaks it
How alcohol, drugs and medication affect driving
Alcohol and drugs can impair your judgement and reaction time. Impairment begins with the first drink or drug use.p. 107p. 108
Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can have a similar effect, with side effects such as drowsiness or dizziness. Talk with your doctor and pharmacist, and know how any medication you take affects you, including combined with alcohol or drugs, before you drive.p. 107
Impaired driving is still a major cause of traffic deaths and injuries in Alberta. From 2016 to 2020, an average of about 38 people were killed and 535 injured each year in collisions involving impaired driving.p. 107p. 108
Alberta’s roadside sanctions (IRS)
Alberta has one impaired driving program, Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS). Penalties are given at the roadside and escalate: longer licence suspensions, higher fines, longer vehicle seizures, mandatory education programs and the Ignition Interlock Program.p. 111
- IRS: 24-hour. For a driver whose ability is impaired by a physical or medical condition, drugs or alcohol: a 24-hour licence disqualification.p. 111
- IRS ZERO: Novice. Any alcohol or drugs for a Class 7 or Class 5-GDL driver, as above.p. 112
- IRS: WARN. A blood alcohol concentration of 50 milligrams or more per 100 millilitres of blood. A first occurrence brings a 3-day licence suspension and a 3-day vehicle seizure, and penalties rise with each occurrence.p. 112
- IRS: FAIL. Driving while impaired to any degree, a blood alcohol concentration of 80 milligrams or more per 100 millilitres within two hours of driving, or refusing a demand without a reasonable excuse. A first occurrence brings 90 days of no driving at all, a further 12-month suspension, the Planning Ahead course and a 30-day vehicle seizure.p. 113
To challenge a provincial IRS penalty, you can apply for a review through SafeRoads Alberta.p. 117
Criminal Code offences
Impaired driving is also an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada, whatever your blood alcohol or drug content. A finding of guilt means a one-year driving disqualification and licence suspension, and longer with earlier offences. If someone is killed or injured, the minimum suspension is five years, even for a first offender.p. 111