Bermuda’s Liquor Laws

The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving in Bermuda is 0.08

If you get into a collision while driving over the legal limit of alcohol, your insurance will not cover you or your vehicle it will only cover the third party.

CADA is lobbying for roadside sobriety checkpoints to be adopted in Bermuda, these would operate as follows:

- The public is advised ahead of time that checkpoints will be taking place
- The Police decide ahead of time that every nth vehicle will be stopped. (In other words, the Police decide ahead of time that every 10th vehicle, or every 20th vehicle, will be stopped)
- The checkpoint begins and the Police stop every nth vehicle
- The driver of each vehicle stopped is roadside breath tested
- If the roadside breath test shows at or above a certain level of alcohol, the person is transported to the Police station or to the Police command vehcle, for the fully calibrated alcohol breathalyzer machine test
- If the fully calibrated machine shows the persons alcohol level is above the legal limit for driving, the person is arrested for driving while impaired

The results these checkpoints can achieve are...

CADA would like to highlight the legislative initiatives successfully lobbied to date and to detail further legislative initiatives we would like to see adopted in Bermuda.

Let’s look at the successes first. In 2007, CADA was tasked by the Department for National Drug Control to form a Legislation Committee to review the Liquor License Act 1974 and provide a report of recommendations to update the Act. CADA invited a number of organizations to be represented on the committee. They included: insurance companies, the faith community, Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, various entertainment organizations, the hospitality industry and The Road Safety Council.

From January to June 2008 this committee met on an intensive basis and in July 2008 the Final Report was complete. In part, from that Final Report the most recent amendments to the Liquor License Act were made via the Liquor License Amendment Act of 2010. Some of these amendments include:

• Making TIPS certification for all managers, supervisors and persons in charge of bars at on-premise licensed premises mandatory as of the date of June 1, 2011. TIPS is a one day certification program on the responsible selling and serving of alcohol in licensed establishments.

• Giving the Bermuda Police Service the power to close down licensed premises for up to 24 hours in the event of serious disorder or a threat to public safety.

• Making it a requirement that after gaining membership in a members club, a new member must wait 48 hours before he/she can legally use the clubs facilities.

CADA is extremely pleased with the progress made to date and looks forward to lobbying for these additional legislative initiatives which also stem from the 2008 Final Report:

As of June 1st 2011, TIPS certification became a mandatory requirement for managers, supervisors and persons in charge of bars, at on-premise licensed facilities and events. To view this section of the Bermuda Liquor License Act click here Section 39B Bermuda Liquor License Act

To view the entire Bermuda Liquor License Act click here Bermuda Liquor License Act

If there is a serious disorder or threat to public safety at or near a licensed premises, the police have the power to shut down that licensed premise for up to 24 hours.