Answers Book · Alcohol in your body

How Long Until Alcohol Is Out of Your System?

The 10-second answer

Your body takes about an hour per drink, but timing varies. Clearing alcohol completely can take about 25 hours; feeling sober is not proof.

The simple answer

Your liver does most of the work, and it goes at its own speed. It takes about an hour to process one drink, but that's not a clock you can use to decide when to drive. Clearing alcohol completely can take about 25 hours. Timing varies with your body, food, medicines, and how much you drank.

How long until alcohol is 100% out of your system?

Clearing alcohol completely can take about 25 hours. Alcohol's half-life is four to five hours, and it takes about five half-lives to clear it all. Timing varies with your body, food, medicines, and how much you drank. Feeling sober is not proof that the alcohol is gone, and no number of hours tells you when it's safe to drive.

Myth vs Fact

Myth

Once you feel sober, the alcohol is gone.

Fact

Cleveland Clinic says clearing alcohol completely takes about 25 hours, and NIH says blood alcohol can keep rising for a while even after you stop drinking.

The science

  1. Cleveland ClinicThe liver does the heavy lifting in breaking down alcohol, after it passes through the stomach, small intestine and bloodstream.
  2. Cleveland ClinicAlcohol's half-life is four to five hours. It takes about five half-lives, around 25 hours, to clear it completely.
  3. Cleveland ClinicThere is no set timeframe. It depends on things like your age and other personal factors.
  4. Cleveland ClinicYour body needs about an hour to process one drink.
  5. NIHA US "standard drink" has 14 grams of pure alcohol: about 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor.

Medical sources

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This page is general information, not medical advice. Sources are linked above. If you're worried about yourself or someone else, contact a healthcare provider or call 911.
Last checked: September 25, 2026