The General Rule: No Driving While Impaired
The statute begins not with a number, but with a principle — and it is broader than just "how many promille":
«Ingen må føre motorvogn når han er påvirket av alkohol eller annet berusende eller bedøvende middel.»
No one may drive a motorvogn while under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicating or anaesthetising substance. (unofficial translation)
Motorvogn means a motor vehicle: passenger cars, lorries, motorcycles, mopeds. The rule covers not only alcohol, but also "another intoxicating or anaesthetising substance" — from illicit drugs to medicines affecting reaction time.
The Thresholds: 0.2 in Blood, 0.1 in Breath
The statute then establishes the statutory threshold beyond which a driver is in all cases deemed impaired — regardless of subjective feeling:
«Har han større alkoholkonsentrasjon i blodet enn 0,2 promille eller en alkoholmengde i kroppen som kan føre til så stor alkoholkonsentrasjon i blodet, eller større alkoholkonsentrasjon i utåndingsluften enn 0,1 milligram per liter luft, regnes han i alle tilfeller for påvirket av alkohol i henhold til bestemmelsene i loven.»
If the alcohol concentration in their blood exceeds 0.2 promille, or the amount of alcohol in the body may lead to such an alcohol concentration in the blood, or the alcohol concentration in exhaled air exceeds 0.1 milligram per litre of air, they are in all cases regarded as under the influence of alcohol under the provisions of the Act. (unofficial translation)
Notice the clause: "amount of alcohol in the body that may lead to such an alcohol concentration". This closes the loophole of "I only drank right before driving and it hasn't absorbed yet": the law evaluates what the consumed alcohol will lead to, not merely the reading at the moment of testing. Crucially, 0.2 is not an "allowed allowance", but a statutory limit above which impairment does not need to be proven. One can still be deemed impaired below 0.2 under the first paragraph.
"I Didn't Know My Level" Is No Defense
A pitfall addressed explicitly by the statute:
«Villfarelse med hensyn til alkoholkonsentrasjonens størrelse fritar ikke for straff.»
A mistaken belief about the size of the alcohol concentration does not exempt from punishment. (unofficial translation)
How much promille a specific drink yields depends on body weight, biological sex, elapsed time, food intake, and metabolic rate; there is no official conversion table from drinks to promille, and a calculator cannot establish that you are legally fit to drive. The practical conclusion: if you drank, do not drive; if in doubt about yesterday's drinks, do not drive.
The Six-Hour Rule After Driving
A lesser-known part of § 22 is the prohibition against consuming alcohol after driving:
«Fører av motorvogn må ikke nyte alkohol eller ta annet berusende eller bedøvende middel i de første seks timene etter at han er ferdig med kjøringen, når han forstår at det kan bli politietterforskning på grunn av kjøringen eller utviser grov uaktsomhet i så måte.»
The driver of a motorvogn must not consume alcohol or take another intoxicating or anaesthetising substance during the first six hours after finishing driving, when they understand that a police investigation may follow because of the driving, or show gross negligence in that respect. (unofficial translation)
The rationale: a driver cannot mask pre-driving intoxication by claiming alcohol was consumed only after parking or an accident. The six hours run from finishing driving. The rule applies when the driver understands that the driving may lead to a police investigation, or is grossly negligent about that possibility. The prohibition ends early after a blood or breath sample has been taken, or the police have decided that no such sample is to be taken.
Medication: A Prescription Is Not a Blanket Pass
For substances other than alcohol, formal concentration limits are regulated by secondary regulations — with one statutory exemption:
«Dette gjelder likevel ikke hvor overskridelsen skyldes legemiddel inntatt i henhold til gjeldende forskrivning fra lege eller tannlege.»
This does not, however, apply where the excess is due to a medicine taken in accordance with a valid prescription from a doctor or dentist. (unofficial translation)
This exemption only applies to strict numerical limit infractions. The fundamental rule in the first paragraph still applies: if medication impairs your fitness to drive safely, driving is prohibited regardless of prescription.
Practice scenarios
The official syllabus covers intoxication under Fører og eiers ansvar (formelle forhold) (driver and owner responsibilities). Practice scenarios include: "What is the legal promille limit in Norway?" (0.2); "Can you drive the morning after a party?" (only when not impaired, within the statutory concentration rules and otherwise fit to drive; this cannot be established by guessing or feeling rested); "Does not knowing your concentration exempt you from liability?" (no — villfarelse fritar ikke); "When does the six-hour rule prohibit alcohol after driving?" (when the investigation trigger applies, until six hours have elapsed or a blood/breath sample has been taken or police have decided not to take one). Try practice questions in the simulator: first question free without sign-up.
Sources
Verbatim excerpts are from the Norwegian statutory text on Lovdata; translations and commentary are unofficial study aids. Only the Norwegian text is legally binding. This page contains no medical advice or drink-calculators, as none exist in official sources.
